In Learning Food Photography - Part 1, I reviewed all the books in print (and a couple out-of-print) that cover photographing food and styling food for photography. [Click here if you would like to read that article first.] Being visual creatures, most photographers learn better by doing and hearing rather than by reading. So, in this installment, Part 2, I’ll cover a range of workshops, seminars and conferences on food photography. I’ll also run through a handful of professional associations for food photographers and stylists. Then, in Part 3, I’ll run through a number of food blogs, online resources (including some great YouTube videos on food photography) and sources of supplies for food shooters and stylists.

Workshops / Seminars / Conferences on Food Photography:

International Conference on Food Styling & Photography
June 13 - 15, 2009 / Boston University
This biennial event will be held again at Boston University. It is only conference created solely for food photographers and stylists. Attending the 3-day event is a great way to meet stylists and photographers from around the globe. If you are serious about your craft as a food shooter, consider this a must-do. For details on the 2009 conference, click here to be put on their mailing list. To read about the inaugural conference in 2007, click here.

Lou Manna is a Manhattan-based food photographer. He literally wrote the book on ‘Digital Food Photography‘. Every other month or so, Lou teaches a one-day workshop in his studio. Tuition is a very reasonable $250. Scott Kelby, over on Photoshop Insider, wrote an extensive (and glowing) review about his experience in Lou’s workshop. Check out the “Workshops” tab on Lou’s blog for upcoming dates. To sign up for the September 14 workshop, click here. To sign up for the November 9 workshop, click here.

Photoshop World is the bi-coastal, semiannual, 4-day extravaganza of all things Photoshop. Organized by NAPP, Photoshop World happens right after Labor Day in Las Vegas and somewhere on the east coast during the spring.  A perennial favorite is the Lighting For Food Photography session led by Joe Glyda (Friday, September 5, 12:00-1:00pm). For Joe’s bio, click here.

Associations For Food Photographers and Stylists:

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) has more than 3,000 members spread across 45 countries. The IACP has a professional interest section for food photographers and stylists that coordinates the seminar content on photography/styling for the annual IACP conference. Joining as a member and attending the conference is a great way to meet other food photographers.

The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) is the organization that everyone who earns money with their camera should join. ASMP has nearly 40 local chapters around the country and a number of special interest groups - including a small, but growing, group of food photographers. The group hosts a Yahoo! forum that is open to anyone interested in food photography. If you are new to food photography, a shout out on the forum is a good way to locate photographers and stylists in your region.

The Culinary Institute of America is the matriarch of culinary education in America. Based in Hyde Park, New York, CIA has branch locations in Napa Valley and San Antionio. Although CIA does not provide education on food photography directly, it is a valuable resource for education and inspiration about food. Their free, daily e-newsletter is a great way to stay up on ideas and issues in the food industry.

DVD:

Photographing Food As Art - Bigelow
This is a quasi-documentary shot near the end of the three-year collaboration between chef Jean-Louis Palladin and photographer Fred Maroon… some 20+ years ago. The result of their collaboration was
published in 1989 as “Jean-Louis - Cooking With The Seasons” - a coffee table book of highly-style food. I wrote a detailed review on Amazon. The bottom line is that the DVD has limited value when measured by today’s standards.

Coming Up In PixSylated’s Series On Learning Food Photography

• Part 3, Blogs, online resources (including some great YouTube videos) and sources of supplies

Don’t want to miss the next installment of PixSylated? Get the new posts automatically by RSS or email. You’ll find links for each in the left column.

Adobe has started shipping the 2nd generation of Lightroom (officially “Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2″). I’ll say it up front, “I love Lightroom.” As a commercial shooter, Lightroom has become the backbone of my post-capture workflow. In my studio, Photoshop now handles only those things that Lightroom cannot do… which is much less now that Lightroom can handle many localized corrections.

Is Lightroom 2 perfect? No. Is it the best software around for one-stop handling of ingestion, DNG conversion, keywording, metatagging, sorting, ranking, RAW processing, exporting in multiple formats, creating slideshows and web galleries? Definitely yes.

Licensed owners of LR 1 can upgrade for $99. The list price for new users is $299. If you’re running the beta version, it will expire no later than the end of August (and maybe as early as 30 days from the day you downloaded it). If you’ve gotten hooked on Lightroom, start planning your transition to the release-version now. If you’ve not yet tried it out, click here to jump to the Lightroom info page and look for the link to download a 30-day trial version.

I ordered my copy of Lightroom 2 direct from the Adobe store figuring that they would be the first to fill orders. My expectation was fulfilled when my shipping confirmation arrived in my mailbox this afternoon. You can get it almost immediately via download. But, I’ve long been a sucker for software packaging… I still have my disks, manual and box for Photoshop 3 on my bookshelf.

In you’re anxious to make the change, click on the LR box above to place your order at the Adobe store. Amazon does not yet list Lightroom 2 — but they do have all the latest and soon-to-be-published books online. (Click here to jump to Amazon’s collection of Lightroom books.) I checked with the other online super-stores and found that none had Lightroom 2 listed.

For two great posts covering what’s new in Lightroom 2, check out the blogs of John Nack and Tom Hogarty - both Adobe-men extraordinaire. You’ll also find that these posts contain a ton of links to other sources of info and training on Lightroom 2. Also, check out Scott Kelby’s post over on ‘Photoshop Insider’ about his thoughts on the release-version of LR2. As always, Scott has many great insights and some colorful things to say.

This post last updated: August 3, 2008.

Back in the middle of photography’s dark ages, during the formative years of my youth (circa 1968), listening to shortwave radio was a keen fascination. When I visited my cousin’s house, at night, we would tune in to stations from around the world on his shortwave set. We laughed as the path opened for us to discover exotic languages and music. Other than scrounging up an old receiver and some wire for an antenna, there was no cost to riding the airwaves.

Today, I think the blogosphere is at a similar state of evolution. For only the cost of access to the Internet, I can tune in to the thoughts of photographers (and other colorful thinkers) far and wide. Likewise, the cost of starting and running a blog can be minimal. Consider that WordPress, the most widely-used blog software, is a free download and that thousands of blogs, including some of the most highly-visited sites (like Strobist), are hosted for free on Blogger.

Eventually the standard means of delivering our thoughts and ramblings will morph from the “modern” blog into streams of hi-def video. (I promise, when that happens, I’ll stay behind the little green curtain when I post.) For now, the web is still a fertile field for sowing the written word.

I spend invest a lot of time wandering around the blogosphere. Most of the time, it’s the main way that I stay current with developments and innovations in the world of photography. I admit, occasionally, it’s also a way to hone my skills as a procrastinator.

My photographic horizons and interests are vast. Even though I’m a commercial shooter, I’m equally interested in the realms of fine art photography and creativity. And, keeping Dante’s journey in mind, I also want insight on the thoughts of photo editors, art buyers, media consultants, etc. [More about Dante's journey here.]

How I Surf The Blogosphere

Surf Quickly, Surf Safely - Use A Web Reader. For a long while, I would just bookmark the blogs and websites that I wanted to follow and periodically click through my bookmarks to see if any had a new post. Give me an “A” for inefficiency. Most blogs and many websites publish an RSS feed that web readers will detect. Even if you only follow a couple of blogs or sites, get a web reader. Eventually, your favorites list will grow to the point where you’ll really appreciate it.

Look for the RSS logo (shown above) to subscribe - subscriptions are free. In many browsers, if a site has an RSS feed, the RSS icon will appear at the right side of the address bar. Double-click on that and you’re on your way to subscribing. I use Google Reader to manage my subscriptions. Another widely-used reader is Bloglines.

In addition to offering an RSS feed, many blogs also offer a subscription by email. When the site publishes a new post, you’ll receive it in your mailbox. I have a specific email account set up to receive blog posts and e-newletters so that they don’t get lost in my regular mailstorm (yes, it does rhyme with “hailstorm”).

Get organized before you get crazy. I’m a self-confessed blogoholic (”No really, I can control it. I just choose not to sleep.”). But, I’m an organized blogoholic. I have my Google Reader account bookmarked on my Firefox toolbar as “GRdr”. Two clicks and I’m looking at my long lists of blog subscriptions.

My reader is divided into three folders: 1-Must Reads, 2-Other Photography, 3-Everything Else. (The numbers are in the names to sequence the folders automatically.) When I subscribe to a blog’s RSS feed in Google Reader, I create the subscription in the appropriate folder.

Then, almost every morning, I click open my reader and see if there’s anything new in the 1-Must Reads. Once a week (or more often if I want to push the needle on the Procrasto-meter deep into the red zone), I browse the 2-Other Photography and 3-Everything Else categories.

My Must-Read List of Blogs and Websites About Photography

Here’s my list of 1-Must Reads. I’ve listed them alphabetically (which is an interesting exercise to remember the next time you have to come up with a name for a new site). If there’s new content on one of these sites, I want to check it out asap.

A Photo Editor - Rob Haggart, a former photo editor for ‘Men’s Journal’ and ‘Outside’, entertains and educates with a number of posts each week (sometimes with several in a single day). Rob’s not a shooter. He’s the guy who is paid to find the perfect photo / photographer amidst the gillions of mediocre pix / photographers swimming around. It’s a totally different take on the world of commercial photography. Many photographers, myself included, need the regular slap in the face that Rob delivers. ‘A Photo Editor’ would be right at the top of my must-read list even in it didn’t start with “A”. [Post frequency = more than frequent]

Death To Film - The blog of Image Mechanics. IM is the gang of superheros based in Santa Monica that’s led by Michael Britt (the fellow who wrote the original Lightroom user’s guide for Adobe.) As digital capture specialists, these guys have to manage as many captures in a day as most non-pro shooters will create in a lifetime. They don’t post often. When they do, it’s usually something I wish I’d known months ago. [Post frequency = infrequent]

Inside Lightroom - Hosted by O’Reilly, the publisher of many great titles on photography and digital technology. Great tips and techniques on the program that’s revolutionizing digital workflow. Posts from a broad group of photographers, including: Michael Clark, Jon Canfield, Mikkel Aaland, and many others.  [Post frequency = frequent]

Joe McNally’s Blog -  I’ve written a good bit about my friend and swami, Joe McNally (here, here, and here). Joe is the master of enslaving a battalion of Nikon speedlights to do his bidding. His blog is part adventure travelogue, part online workshop. When Joe’s busy, the posts get intermittent. But there’s always a good tale and several great pix when he gets back online. [Post frequency = intermittent to frequent]

John Nack On Adobe - John is Adobe’s Senior Product Manager for Photoshop. Put another way, he’s ground zero for loads of great insights into life at Adobe-ville. A prolific blogger, John frequently provides peeks at the future of the Photoshop family. He’s also a great source for leads to other great content on the web.

John Paul Caponigro’s Blog - John Paul Caponigro is the son of Paul Caponigro, one of the photographers who most influenced my career in art school. I’m happy to say that thanks to JP, the Caponigro-spell on my vision continues to this day. JP is a prolific and gifted artist, teacher and writer. Along with Mac Holbert, he teaches The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop (my quick review of FADP is here). His blog provides steady insights into his workshops, techniques and gear. Consider it as the gateway to one of the best sites for information on creating modern, photographic art. [Post frequency = frequent]

Lightroom Journal - This is blog of the Lightroom development team - led by Tom Hogarty at Adobe. Although the posts are infrequent, I always want to know when new material is online. [Post frequency = infrequent]

Lightroom News - Another great source for information on breaking news and techniques for using Lightroom. Led by members of the Pixel Genius braintrust. [Post frequency = intermittent to frequent]

Photo-Resources.org - The sister-site to PixSylated in which I post (relatively) concise reviews of events and resources for photographers. I always subscribe to my own blogs in both RSS and email to see what everyone else is receiving. [Post frequency = frequent]

Photoshop Insider - The popular blog of Scott Kelby (who needs a billboard-sized business card to hold his various titles and achievements: most widely published author on digital technology, president of NAPP, inventor of the Photoshop-education industry, editor/publisher of Photoshop User magazine, same for Layers magazine…)  Scott shares his personal photos, new techniques, industry insights, gear reviews and travel tales in his energetic, humorous voice. [Post frequency = daily M-F, with guest bloggers on Wed.]

Photoshop News - Regular installments about developments in Adobe-land, Photoshop techniques and pixelated humor. Also hosts an extensive list of resources on Photoshop, color management, digital printing and beyond. [Post frequency = frequent]

Rob Galbraith DPI - An amalgamation of news from around the world of digital photography. Typically delves deep into the performance of new cameras and software (along with the bugs that haunt them). Consistently one of the first to post breaking news. Extensive list of links for software and camera firmware updates. [Post frequency = frequent]

Strobist - David Hobby’s Strobist is the blog that started the small flash phenomenon. Now legions of Strobist enthusiasts frequently meet around the country for shoots and camaraderie. From the hosting of the site (free via Blogger) to the equipment and techniques that the site advocates, Strobist is proof that one need not spend a lot of money to be a success in today’s photo world. Strobist is the place to start if you want to learn about flash photography. [Post frequency = frequent]

The Luminous Landscape - Michael Reichmann is known to many as the sage of modern, fine art photography. The Luminous Landscape has long been a source for cutting edge information of camera gear, digital workflow, fine art printing and landscape photography. There is so much information that The Luminous Landscape can be a challenge to navigate. Subscribe to the RSS feed and you’ll get every new installment hot off the press. [Post frequency = frequent]

Vincent Laforet’s Blog [added 8/02/08] - Vincent Laforet is a gifted shooter, Pulitzer winner, Canon Explorer of Light and now a blogger. His article ‘The Clouds Are Falling’ on Sportsshooter has inspired an open dialog about the state of editorial photography. Check out his sidebar for a long list of other great photography blogs and sites. [Post frequency = frequent]

Blogs & Websites About Photography That I Read Frequently (but not every day)

Here’s the laundry list of other photo sites that I read frequently. When I’m busy, I will wait until I have the time to browse my reader for updates to these sites. Or, if I have a really big something that I’m trying to avoid, I’ll jump right on this list with impunity.

Acme Educational - News and insights from Vincent Versace, plus info on Acme’s upcoming DVD releases that provide “industrial-strength knowledge for the creative mind”.

Chase Jarvis’ Blog - The adventure blog of the globe-trotting Chase Jarvis. You’ll also find a list of links to all of Chase’s cool video podcasts.

Exposures - Regular installments on the world of photography published by the Aperture Foundation.

Focus On Singh-Ray - The experiences of field photographers with Singh-Ray filters.

Heather Morton / Art Buyer - Insights and interviews for commercial shooter. Hosted by Heather Morton, a freelance art buyer based in Toronto, along with input from friends and colleagues around the world.

Imaging Insider - If you want to scan virtually every press release related to photography, check out Imaging Insider. Also great way to find out about new blogs on photography and valuable posts.

John Nack On Adobe - Thoughts and rumor-busters straight from Adobe’s Senior Product Manager for Photoshop.

Inside Digital Photo - Podcasts (both audio and video) on digital photography, image makers and industry trends. Great interviews.

LensCulture - A great site to tour with a large cup of tea in hand. Self-described as “an online magazine celebrating international contemporary photography, art, media and world cultures.” Visually and intellectually stimulating.

Marketing Photos - Mary Virginia Swanson, the doyenne of info on the world of fine art photography, shares her experiences and points the way for those looking to break into the photo art world.

MediaStorm - Brian Storm is the pioneer in advocating that still photographers create multimedia projects through the addition of sound and video recordings. The MediaStorm blog will keep you updated on this important movement and happenings is the greater world of photojournalism.

PDN Pulse - Almost-daily posts on news, issues and resources for professional photographers by the editors of Photo District News.

Photo Attorney - The blog of intellectual property attorney Carolyn Wright. Legal issues for photographers may not be the most scintillating read, but a working knowledge of IP law is essential to every successful photographer.

Photo Business News & Forum - The blog of John Harrington, an editorial photographer and author based in metro-Washington DC. John wrote the book, “Best Business Practices For Photographers” - which I recommend highly.

Photopreneur - Ideas and resources for making money with your camera. Oriented towards enthusiasts and emerging pros. Interesting nevertheless.

Photoshop Cafe - The blog of author, teacher and shooter Colin Smith. Loads of tutorials on Photoshop and Dreamweaver.

PhotoshopUser TV - The weekly video feed from NAPP, hosted by Matt Kloskowski, Dave Cross and that other guy (Scott Kelby). Always features a list of sites mentioned on the show (including PixSylated - Episode #141 - July 7, 2008!)

Picture Stories - The blog of National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez. All the beautiful pix and colorful stories that you’d expect from a longtime NGS shooter.

School Of Stock - PhotoShelter’s insights and lessons on the world of stock photography

Sean Kernan’s Journal - Last January, I met Sean Kernan at ASMP’s Strictly Business 2 in L.A. I wish I had come to know Sean and his photography years earlier. Creative. Mystical. Intense. Random. Beautiful.

State Of The Art - A collective blog by the editors of American Photo magazine. The blog, like the mag, is an enjoyable, random walk through all aspects of the photo universe.

Studio Days - Bill Simone is a commercial shooter who is known for his unique lighting and post-processing. Fortunately for those inspired by Bill’s style, he often reveals the precise details behind landmark shots in his blog.

Super Premium Blog -  Frequent insights on marketing and business management for commercial photographers and other creatives from Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua.

The Digital Journalist - Dirck Halstead and company provide monthly insights into the world of photojournalism.

The Imaging Buffet - Digital photo tips, imaging news, gear reviews, interviews and more from Andrew Darlow.

What The Duck - The mother lode of Photoshop humor, dished out almost daily. Congratulations to Aaron Johnson on the (hopefully ever-expanding) national syndication of his strip. Look for the renamed “W.T. Duck” in a newspaper near you starting September 8th.

Where Is Ben? - Ben Willmore is the kind of guy who can make the most challenging Photoshop concepts seem obvious to the thickest of students (I’m right at the top of that list). I catch his workshops and seminars as often as I can. He tours the country in his vintage RV. Keep an eye on Ben through his blog.

Zack Arias’ Blog - Zack is the energetic Atlanta photographer behind the OneLight Workshops. Zack’s blog ranges from coverage of his new DVD and workshops to his music and editorial shoots.

How To Find Other Cool Blogs & Sites

Like so many things… one good blog often leads to another. When you find a blog that you really like, look for the host’s “Blogroll” or “Links” list. Then check out every blog on the list. Subscribe to the ones that you think you’ll like. Stick with ‘em for a month or so. If you find that you’re not interested again and again, then unsubscribe.

Why Your Favorite Blog Is Not On My List

If you are wondering why your favorite blog or site is not listed, it’s due to one of three reasons:

1. I don’t know about your favorite site. The blogoshpere is huge and getting bigger every day. I’m continually amazed by the great sites that I find through other blogs.
2. Your favorite site only parrots the content of other sites. Unless a site is overtly an aggregation of industry news feeds, if it mainly posts about the content on other sites, I’ll pass.
3. Your favorite site does not have an RSS-feed or email subscription. The reality of the web these days is that without an RSS-feed or email update, I probably won’t discover new material on a website. I may bookmark the site when I first find it, but without a reminder, I’m not likely to return on a regular basis. My motto… “No feed, no traffic.” I have enough difficulty staying up with the feeds and emails to which I’ve subscribed.

So, if your favorite blog or site is not listed and you think it should be, feel free to call me out by adding it as a comment.

I have the good (and bad) fortune to live on a hilltop halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It’s a great place to live if you like to mindlessly stare out at vineyards and oak-studded hills. It’s a lousy place to live if the Light Magenta cartridge on your Epson 3800 runs dry on a Saturday morning when you are printing for a client. I know from past experience that the nearest replacement cartridge is exactly 132 miles to the south at Samy’s Camera in Santa Barbara.

Let’s see. I don’t have to deliver the prints until Monday afternoon… At $4.65/gallon for gas, the round trip down to Samy’s would cost almost $80 bucks in fuel and waste the better part of my day. My other option, fingers crossed, is that Amazon has one in stock and can still get it out the door. I check online and see that it’s in stock and I have 50 minutes to get it ordered. Here’s the part I love the most… Amazon’s shipping charge for getting it out the door on Saturday and to my studio on Monday morning is $3.99. Just $3.99?

That’s not a typo. It’s not supposed to be $39.90 (which I probably also would have paid to avoid the drive to Santa Barbara). For about the cost of a grande latte, I can get Amazon to deliver almost anything they have in stock to me overnight. If I can be a bit more patient, Amazon doesn’t charge me anything for 2-day delivery. What my secret? Amazon Prime.

For a $79 annual fee, Amazon Prime provides unlimited free 2-day shipping. An upgrade to overnight delivery is just $3.99 per item. I’ve found that Amazon’s prices are very competitive on all kinds of photo gear and printing supplies - especially when shipping charges are figured in.

You can get a free, 30-day trial to Amazon Prime by clicking here. [Be forewarned, just like that mom who puts a kitten in your child's arms and says "Take it home for the weekend... if you don't like it, you can bring it back on Monday", once you get used to free, 2-day delivery, you'll be an Amazon Prime customer forever.]

Two Keys To Happiness With Amazon Prime

The first key to happiness with Amazon Prime is making sure that the item is in stock and sold by Amazon. Once you’re an Amazon Prime member and logged in to Amazon, you’ll see the Prime logo in the items that are eligible for Prime shipping. In the photo below, the first item is Amazon’s listing for the Epson 3800. The second listing is for the same printer from a third-party vendor. [While the third-party price is lower, I put one in my shopping cart and learned that I'll have to pay $50 for ground shipping that will take a week to get it here. Having an expensive, heavy printer bounce across the country for a week in a truck to save $23.99 is no bargain when my Amazon Prime will get it to me tomorrow for $3.99 in shipping or the day after for free.]

The second key to happiness with Amazon Prime, if you need it tomorrow, is check to see that there’s still time to get it shipped today. In the photo below, you’ll see the tiny green type that says I have “7 hours and 15 minutes” to order the Epson 3800 for delivery tomorrow. The only time Amazon didn’t get an overnight shipment out the door for me was when the clock said they had 8 minutes. So, will they be able to ship my Light Magenta cartridge within 50 minutes on a Saturday morning?

Update - Monday morning 11:15: Great! The Fedex guy is at the door with my Light Magenta cartridge. So, I’m back in business. Amazon Prime comes to the rescue (again).

If Joe McNally were a cartoon character, I think he’d be the Tasmanian Devil (although I’m sure that some days ol’ Joe feels like he’s Wile E. Coyote). Why the Tasmanian Devil? He never slows down. Between shooting, blogging and teaching, Joe’s the photographic equivalent of a whirling dervish. Fortunately for the legions that follow in his dust trail, Joe has also been carving out time to write his next book The Hot Shoe Diaries - Creative Applications of Small Flashes.

Good news. You can pre-order it now on Amazon. For those who waited to order Joe’s first book, The Moment It Clicks, and could not get it until the second printing, you know that you’ll want to pre-order your copy of The Hot Shoe Diaries. So, do it now. We’ll wait for you to come back. If all goes as planned in the McNally household and at New Riders Press, you’ll have it in hand by Christmas.

And for the four of you who have been reading PixSylated for a while, the answer to your other question is “Yes”. I’ll pimp The Hot Shoe Diaries just like its big brother. Click here if you’d like to get a close look at Joe’s first book and read my original post on ‘Pimping Your McNally’.

For frequent McNally installments and more details on The Hot Shoe Diaries, keep an eye on Joe’s blog.

[And thanks to The Man himself for giving this cub reporter the go ahead to run with the story before he made the big announcement.]

PixSylated’s 3-Part Series On Learning Food Photography

• Part 1, Books that deal with food photography and styling.
• Part 2, Workshops, seminars & conferences / trade associations / a DVD.
• Part 3, Blogs, online resources and sources of supplies

Shooting food is the culinary equivalent of fashion photography. It just happens at a slower pace and smaller scale. Both can be much more difficult than they appear to the uninitiated.

• There’s the issue of lighting. A strobe setup that works when shooting a glamor headshot won’t work when shooting a meal that’s 12″ square. Yet the lighting concepts are often the same.
• There’s the issue of perishability. Just as a waif of a model can’t look like a Cosmo cover 24/7, the food photographer is always wary of his subject melting, wilting, loosing it’s shine or effervescence.
• There’s the issue of styling. Food for photography often is not food for eating. Just as the fashion shooter often lets another professional deal with hair and makeup, a food stylist understands how to primp and massage food for the camera.

Part 1 - Books on Food Photography: If you’re looking for books on nature photography, you can find a herd of them. If you’re looking for books on food photography, you’ll find a scant handful. Here are virtually all the relevant food photography books currently on the market (as both in-print and out-of-print titles).

I’ll start with books that cover food photography from cover to cover. Then, I’ll describe a few titles that only have a chapter or two that relate directly to food photography - but even a single chapter is often worth the cost of the book. Finally, I’ll review a couple of books that deal with food styling more than photographic technique. Even these titles offer valuable insights for the food photographer.

Books on Food Photography (cover to cover):

Digital Food Photography - Lou Manna
This is THE book to get when you’re starting down the path as a food photographer. Lou Manna is a New York-based shooter who also offers workshops every other month or so in his studio. Lou’s comprehensive book covers not only photography, but also such important factors as: how food photography is used (editorially, in marketing and on packaging), the role of the food stylist and the role of the prop stylist. His no-nonsense talk about food photography covers gear, composition, lighting, retouching and how to get in the business. If there was an award for Mr. Congeniality in the food photography world, Lou would be the perennial winner. [Thompson Course Technology, © 2005, 296 pages, 7.5" x 9", $26–$40, widely available]

Lighting For Food & Drink Photography - Steve Bavister
This book is the Holy Grail for many food photogaphers. It presents the work of more than 20 leading food shooters in the classic format of RotoVision books. Nearly every spread presents a seductive, full-page shot paired opposite a how-to description and explicit lighting diagram. The book starts with ambient light shots, then works through one light setups, two light setups and then “sophisticated” setups. This is the book I open when I need a dash of visual inspiration. Although published in 2001 and full of anecdotes about shooting film, the book is more valuable today than when it was published with a cover price of $35. IF you can find it, expect to pay something north of $200 for a good used copy. Amazon lists two copies as being available (but not for long). In my correspondence with RotoVision, they said that they have no plans to reprint or issue a new edition. So, if you’re serious about your craft as a food photographer, don’t hold your breath for a “cheap” version anytime soon.  [RotoVision, © 2001, 160 pages, 9" x 10.75", $200–$250, a rare find]

Note: Don’t confuse Lighting For Food & Drink Photography with RotoVision’s 1994 Pro-Lighting: Food Shots. The earlier book is done in the same, great RotoVision style, but presents many images that by today’s standards are very dated. For the money, say $75 to $100+, I’d buy Lou’s book (above) and the next three books instead.

Books on Food Photography (at least in part):

Studio Lighting Solutions - Jack Neubart
This is one of those books that you open and think “hey, it’s a food photography book” - because that’s what the first chapter covers in detail. Beyond food, you’ll find great stories and how-to about the creation of solid photography in the realms of product, fashion, jewelry, nature, thematic and automotive. I managed to glean great tips and insights from every chapter. A great value for the price. [Amphoto Books, © 2005, 176 pages, 8.5" x 11", $20-$30, widely available]

Still Life and Special Effects Photography - Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz
As mentioned above, I love the format of RotoVision books. A big, beautiful photo opposite a detailed lighting diagram with just enough words to explain how the image came together. Although this book is a compilation covering a wide range of still life photography, there are many direct and indirect lessons on food photography. For instance, I found that the techniques for making a length of rusty chain look beautiful are equally applicable to lighting bread. Given that it costs about as much as a good pizza, Still Life and Special Effects Photography is another must-have for the food shooter’s library. [RotoVision, © 2005, 288 pages, 7.5" x 10.5", $16-$25, widely available]

Light: Science & Magic - Hunter, Biver and Fuqua
I bought this book for the chapter on shooting glass - a subject that vexes many food photographers. I read it. Then I read the whole book from cover to cover. My recommendation… buy the book for the chapter on shooting glass and just start reading at the beginning. Great material on the mechanics of light presented in pieces that a photographer can digest. The chapter on shooting metal is equally helpful - especially for those holiday shots where you have crystal stemware, china and silver together. [Focal Press, 3rd Edition, © 2007, 308 pages, 7.4" x 9.8", $36-$40, widely available]

Books on Styling Food For Photography:

The first thing I learned about styling food for photography is that I want to be the photographer and not the stylist. For advertising and packaging shoots, a food stylist is the indispensable equivalent of a makeup artist and hair stylist. I need to focus on creating the image and not on how to keep the carrots looking fresh. When you are starting out, you’ll probably have to style your own food or find a stylist that is just starting out as well. Either way, a general knowledge of food styling will be invaluable to the development of your portfolio. Here’s a classic and a new kid.

Food Photography and Styling - John Carafoli
Dare I say that John Carafoli is the godfather of modern food styling? In addition to having several decades of styling experience, having been published internationally and having taught many of today’s leading stylists, John is the co-founder of the International Conference On Food Styling and Photography (to be held again next year in Boston). The current edition of Food Photography and Styling was re-published directly by the author in 2003. Many thanks for this, John. The original edition, published by Amphoto in 1992, has long been out of print. Chapters include: Drinks, Poultry, Steam, Pizza, Ice Cream, Pasty, Special Effects and Shooting On Location With People. While some of the photography is dated by today’s standards, John shares many styling secrets that are as relevant now as they were when this classic was born. Order from the author for $65 postpaid - and ask that he autograph your copy. Sometimes available from Trengove Studios for a bit less (and without the autograph). [Carafoli, 2nd Edition, © 2003, 144 pages, 8.5" x 10.5", $65, limited availability]

Food Styling For Photographers - Bellingham & Bybee
This recently published book is a how-to primer on preparing food for the camera. Bellingham is an Oregon-based stylist. Bybee is a Dallas-based commercial photographer. The detailed content runs the gamut: cold beverages, salads, pasta and sauces, burgers and sandwiches, grilled and roasted meat, vegetables, ice cream, desserts, breakfast and garnishing. My only complaint is not about the information on styling - which is comprehensive and easy to follow. Rather, as a food photographer, I am naturally interested in the sets and photo techniques used to create the hero shots. While there are a number of set shots and brief descriptions of how the shots were created, their small size and limited number suggests that they were an afterthought. Again and again, I wished that Bybee’s comments on her vision and process had been greatly expanded into the ample amounts of adjacent white space. Clearly, the book was written primarily for food stylists. A more appropriate title would have been Food Styling For Photography. Nevertheless, Food Styling For Photographers is an important read for both students of food photography and styling. [Focal Press, © 2008, 249 pages, 9.3" x 7.5", $31-$40, widely available]

Coming Up In PixSylated’s Series On Learning Food Photography

• Part 2, Workshops, seminars & conferences / trade associations / a DVD.
• Part 3, Blogs, online resources and sources of supplies

Don’t want to miss the next installment of PixSylated? Get the new posts automatically by RSS or email. You’ll find links for each in the left column.

The big deal about Firefox 3, from a photographer’s viewpoint, is that it has color management capabilities. If you’ve not read my post Firefox 3 For Photographers, you should check that out as well. It’s important to understand that while Firefox 3 has color management in the code, the feature is not activated, nor is it even easy to get to.

Why Wasn’t Color Management Activated In Firefox 3?

As much as photographers would like to think that Firefox 3 was created just for them, it’s important to remember that each generation of the program must respond to the needs and wants of millions of users around the globe. In the eye’s of Mozilla, there weren’t enough ICC-profiled images on the web to make it a priority - especially since activating color management slows Firefox 3 down. (Some say the performance hit is in the range of 10-15% slower).

Here’s what the Mozilla press department sent to PixSylated on the matter.

” Our graphics guys were thrilled to include ICC support in Firefox 3, but didn’t want to turn it on by default as the number of pictures using the profiles is still slim, and it has a slight impact on performance when enabled. Sadly, as is sometimes the case, the change request to add a preference for this feature in the options fell through the cracks, and missed the deadline for translation into the many languages that we ship. We hope to have the option included in the next version of Firefox.

“In the meantime, using the Add-on to add the preference to Firefox, or flipping it in about:config are options for those who do a lot of ICC photo viewing with their browser.”

Two Ways To Activate Color Management In Firefox 3

There are two options for activating color management in Firefox 3. One is to change settings in the about:config file within Firefox 3’s code. The other is to use the Color Management plug-in that does this for you.

If you’re comfortable throwing digital switches, changing the about:config setting is pretty quick. You just have to be certain that you’re changing the correct setting (otherwise your Firefox will suddenly morph into an early version of Internet Explorer). Rob Galbraith did a superb job describing how to change the about:config. Click here for that page.

If you’re happy to let someone else do the heavy lifting, download the Color Management plug-in here. It’s still considered an “experimental” bit of code, so you’ll have to register as a user to get it. Registration is free and takes just a minute.

I’ve run the plug-in for several days now without any hiccups. If you’re on a Mac and would like to learn how to run both Firefox 2 and 3 simultaneously or Firefox 3 with and without color management simultaneously, click over to Firefox 3 For Photographers and scroll down to the section on MultiFirefox.

The third generation of Firefox was released on June 17th with more than 8 million downloads during the first 24 hours [a world-record according to Mozilla, the non-profit that orchestrates the worldwide development of this popular web browser]. As of this writing, less than a week after the launch, the download count has exceeded 17 million.

What’s so cool about Firefox as a web browser? First, it’s a global, cooperative effort (available in 45 languages). Second, it’s open source (meaning that anyone can create widgets and plug-ins to add special functionality). Some of my favorite plug-ins for photographers are listed below. Third, it’s free (but donations at Mozilla and plug-in developer sites are always welcome).

As a modern photographer, chances are that you’re using Firefox right now. According to the digital bean counters at PixSylated, of 15,000 people who have visited this site during past two months: 46% use Firefox, 28% use Internet Explorer and 23% use Safari. So, if you’re not using Firefox (yet), your neighbor probably is.

What’s so cool about Firefox 3? Well, the folks at Mozilla say there are thousands of improvements. Among the biggies, for instance, I can now bookmark a site with one click on the navigation bar. Also, the zoom-in command (Cmd+ / Ctrl+) now enlarges images as well as text — a feature much appreciated by my old-school eyes. Web pages also seem to load faster. For a list of the major features in Firefox 3, click here. Also, check out the detailed Field Guide To Firefox 3.

So, if you’d like to download Firefox 3 right now, click on this button. We’ll wait for you to come back. Oh, and you should read all the way to the end before you install it.

Photographers Rejoice – Color Management
Now in Firefox, sort of.

The coolest feature, in my book, is that Firefox 3 has the ability to use ICC-profiles embedded in web pix. This means that if you’re looking at my commercial portfolio site with Firefox 3 and you have a profiled monitor, you’ll see the color very close to how I see it — because I embedded the sRGB profile in my images when I prepped them for the web.

Again, Firefox 3 “has the ability” to use color management. It’s not automatically turned on as a preference. Further, the the plug-in that drives it is still marked “Experimental” (aka: “beta”, a four-letter word). To make sure that you understand it might be a bit buggy, you have to register on the Firefox site as a user before you can get the color management plug-in. The registration is free and takes just a minute. To make it easy on yourself, install Firefox 3 and use it to access the plug-in page for the download. That way, it will install automatically into Firefox 3 (but keep reading before you break away to do that).

While not a perfect solution today, I think that Firefox 3 with the color management plug-in opens a new frontier for photographers on the web. Knowing that my friends and clients can see my web pix with colors that come very close to the colors on my screen will be a big leap forward… even if we have to take a bunch of baby steps to get there. I’m betting that in a few months all of this will become a stable and standard part of the Firefox browser.

Update: Read my June 24 post on Color Management In Firefox 3 by clicking here. It includes an alternative way to activate color management in Firefox 3 as well as Mozilla’s explanation of why the feature was not activated in the first place.

[Hear the chant in the distance? It's the fans of Safari who are saying that their favorite browser also has color management capabilities. True. And, I'm a big fan of Apple. Emotionally, however, I'm tied to the Firefox community when it comes to surfing. Safari is worth having around, especially since it's also available for PCs. It certainly is better than IE.]

Firefox Plug-Ins For Photographers
and Their Friends

Previews - A personal favorite for Firefox 2 and 3. Lets me take a peak at the content of a web link in a preview window without clicking on the link. If I like what I see, then I make the click. Detailed info on the Previews website.

PicLens - One of the most popular Firefox photography plug-ins is ready to go in Firefox 3. Too many cool features for this blurb. Get more info at the PicLens website.

VisualBookmarks - Creates bookmarks with a thumbnail and full-sized preview of a web page. Very helpful for remembering sites of various photographers. Currently works with Firefox 2. No word on a Firefox 3 upgrade. Hope it’s coming.

AutoSlideshow - With a single click, generates an image slideshow of all the images on a web page or images linked to/from a web page. Helpful when you’re mindlessly wandering around Flickr late at night and just want to stare at the screen. Works with Firefox 2. No word yet on a Firefox 3 upgrade.

FotoFox - Facilitates selection and uploading of images to sites like Flickr and SmugMug. Update coming for Firefox 3.

How to run both Firefox 2 and Firefox 3…
on a Mac.

If you plan on experimenting with color management in Firefox, the PixSylated recommendation is that you keep your Firefox 2 in place while you get used to Firefox 3. I’m all gung-ho on the new version. But I want to be sure that I’ve got an instant fall-back in case something gets buggy during the next few weeks. Yes, I have my essential backups and external disk images. When it comes to working on the web, however, I need to keep my workflow moving forward (plus I like instant gratification).

The other reason to run both Firefox 2 and 3 is that not all of my favorite plug-ins have been upgraded to Firefox 3. Be forewarned that if you accept Firefox’s offer to upgrade automatically, after Firefox 3 is in place then the ashes of Firefox 2 will drift away. This is not a problem if you are using only “Recommended” Firefox 3 plug-ins and staying out of the “Experimental” candy store. My son, Tom, found out the hard way this afternoon that many of his favorite Firefox 2 plug-ins are not yet functional in the new version. He decided to uninstall Firefox 3 and reinstall Firefox 2 on his… Dell laptop.

Fortunately, as a Macista, I’ve come upon a great solution that enables me to keep Firefox 2 in place while I continue to customize Firefox 3. Once, I’m convinced that my configuration of Firefox 3 is stable and all of my favorite plug-ins are available for the new version, I’ll say “sayonara” to Firefox 2 with a great amount of respect.

If you’re on a Mac, you need to know about MultiFirefox. It allows you to open multiple versions of Firefox at the same time. Installation and activation is a breeze. (If you’re on a PC, click here. As far as I know, there currently is no way to simultaneously run two versions of Firefox on a PC. Please comment if you know of a solution or work-around.)

Here are the steps I followed to create my skulk of Firefoxes and open them simultaneously via MultiFirefox. (Remember this is for Macistas. PC folks will have to… ?)

1. Downloaded Firefox 3, but did not install it in my Applications folder.
2. Closed Firefox 2.
3. Renamed “Firefox.app” to “Firefox2.app” in my Applications folder. I right-clicked on the file name, went to “Get Info” and changed the name in the “Name & Extension” box.
4. Installed Firefox 3 from the .dmg file I downloaded.
5. Repeated step 2 so that the new “Firefox.app” became “Firefox3.app”. So I have both “Firefox2.app” and “Firefox3.app” in my Applications folder.
6. Installed MultiFirefox.
7. Started MultiFirefox and followed the prompts to create a new Firefox profile, which I called “Firefox 3″.
8. Restarted MultiFirefox, choose “default” as the Profile and “Firefox2″ as the Version. Hit “Launch Firefox” and Firefox 2 opened.
9. Returned to MultiFirefox, chose “Firefox 3″ as the Profile and “Firefox3″ as the Version. Hit “Launch Firefox” and Firefox 3 opened.
10. Smiled at the fact that I had both versions of Firefox running simultaneously. I then sent the developer of MultiFirefox a few bucks through the “Donate” button on his site to say thank you.

Is your inner-geek wondering if you can also create two instances of Firefox 3 - one with the color management plug-in active and one without? The answer is yes. After following the steps above and installing the color management plug-in, I installed Firefox 3 a second time from the .dmg file, changed the name to “Firefox3np.app” (as in “No Plug-in”), created a “FirefoxNP” profile through MultiFirefox and once again thanked the plug-in’s creator as I simultaneously looked at web galleries with and without color management. [If you want to run two instances of Firefox 3, be sure that you've created a unique profile for each instance.]

Finally… Is Firefox 3 secure?

As is common with newly launched software, a report surfaced within hours of the launch of Firefox 3 that the program has a security issue. (The timing of the announcement plus the fact that the security hole existed through the many months of public beta and that it also exists in Firefox 2 is fodder for the cyber-conspiracy forums.) I’m not alarmed and continue to trust the Fox completely. The source of the publicity, Digital Vaccine Labs, noted “Not unlike most browser based vulnerabilities that we see these days, user interaction is required such as clicking on a link in email or visiting a malicious web page.”

So, if you’ve learned to surf the web safely, Firefox 3 should be no more vulnerable than any other browser. Just remember that when you’re on the web, you should not take candy from strangers…

Dove’s Evolution of Beauty video was released just over 18 months ago. By my tally of the various posts on YouTube, it has been downloaded by more than 10 million viewers. I’ve watched it at least 30 times. If you’ve not seen it, think of it as an hour-long documentary rolled up into 60 seconds. Click on the screen below to watch it now.

As a digital photographer, I’m captivated by the process that transforms the girl-next-door into a billboard princess. Make-up, hair, lights, camera, Photoshop. The video shows it all.

As a husband, brother of four sisters and father to three sons, I’m haunted by the same process. Does driving pixels in this manner, bring us closer together or dull our perception of what’s really meaningful?

Evolution was produced as part of Dove’s campaign for real beauty - which promotes self-esteem among young girls, older women and people of all ages in between.

The next time around Dove was less subtle with its social commentary (and they left out the Photoshop tutorial). Check out Onslaught.

As a testament to the power of the original Evolution, the piece has been produced in other languages, parodied ala ‘The Man Show’ and roasted ala ‘Saturday Night Live’. Onslaught had been used as canon fodder for environmental commentary and social commentary against Dove/Unilever. Without diminishing the impact of Evolution or Onslaught, I think all of this side-commentary is healthy and useful as well.

As for The Evolution Of Beauty… it all started with the magic of Photoshop and a large team of willing professionals. The photographer in me remains enchanted, the husband/sibling/parent haunted and the intellectual provoked. How about you?

It’s always fun to watch the waves of new digital technology pound on the shore of established workflow. On June 3rd, Nikon announced the introduction of Capture NX 2 — the second-generation of its innovative approach to RAW processing. Simultaneously, Acme Educational, the brainchild of Vincent Versace, announced the release of the 2-DVD set “Unleashing The RAW Power of Capture NX 2“. So, you can get a headstart on your NX 2 workflow by getting the disks from Acme now at an early-bird price {details below}. Nikon is slated to start shipping NX 2 around June 20th.

Just as Lightroom brought a new interface to Adobe’s approach to RAW processing, Capture NX uses an equally intriguing, yet competing, approach. At the heart of Capture NX are Control Points - essentially a set of sliders that you drag to the point of correction. Think of Control Points as a heads-up display on the windshield of a jet fighter… your controls are right at the point that you want to watch.

For those not familiar with Capture NX, CaptureNX.com is the place to go for an intro. You’ll find flash demonstrations of Caputre NX’s innovative Control Point interface. You’ll also find the link to download a 60-day trial version of Capture NX 2.

New to Capture NX 2 are:

• Support for dual monitors
• Selection Control Points - enabling functions such as Sharpness and D-Lighting to be applied to limited areas
• Auto Retouch Brush - removes dust specks with a simple brushstroke
• Workspaces - set up your workspace based upon the current task at hand / Browser, Metadata, Multi-purpose and Edit are presets. You can also design custom workspaces.
• XMP Label / Rating Support
• Simultaneous Opening of Multiple Settings
• Shadow / Highlight Adjustments

As mentioned above, Acme Educational has begun shipping the 2-DVD set “Unleashing The RAW Power of Capture NX 2″. For those quick on the draw, you can save $15 by ordering now. Once Nikon starts shipping NX 2, estimated to be around June 20, the normal (and still a good value) Acme price will be $59.95. So, calculators at the ready, the early-order price is $44.95.

Unleashing The RAW Power of Capture NX 2

Disk One is affectionately called “Pixel Bootcamp 2.0″. You’ll find a dozen chapters covering every nut and bolt that makes up Capture NX 2. Even advanced photographers who think they have their head completely around the world of RAW processing will discover many useful nuggets to add to their workflow.

Disk Two “From Here to There In Less Than Eternity” covers advanced image editing workflows. Of special interest to fans of infrared photography are three chapters: Standard IR, Enhanced IR and Deep Black IR. And, this being a Versace production, new material on black & white is also included.