The Frustrations of Food Blogging

Okay, really? I sat in an extremely boring studio review session today (for my design courses we don't have tests, we have projects. We don't get number grades, we get critiques. It's not nearly as fun as it sounds sometimes) and spent most of the time looking over my friends shoulder at some of the most delicious looking food imaginable on her MacBook Pro. What wonderful website was she looking at, you may ask? This magnificence right here.


This beauty is from Joy the Baker... She's good.

Now I look at these photos that make my mouth water and think, why can't I do that? I've read tons of articles about how to take great food photos and I've tried every possibility as far as lighting goes in my downstairs. I've tried arranging my concoctions on plates, napkins, and cake stands. I've taken literally hundreds of up close shots, photos looking down on the food, at eye level, zoomed out, everything! I can't get a decent photo to save my life. Everything on my photo looks amateurish and undelicious and not only am I peeved my apparent inability to take a half decent photo, I am upset that I cannot do justice to the treats I am baking.


If only I could... I mean I can make it, sure... but photograph? I don't think so. I mean seriously, WHAT is that background? This scrumptious picture is from a blog I actually just happened upon the other day called A Baked Creation.

I typically try to blame my camera. That actually worked pretty well until I used my mom's super duper big fancy digital number and had the same issues. SUCH a problem. There goes my red herring. Hmm. I know I can't blame the food itself because in reality it truly does look incredible. On film? Not so much. (I just realized that no one really uses film anymore so that no longer applies. It's such a shame though really because I love slides and printed photographs. This digital age thing kills me sometimes...)

Jeez I mean have you SEEN this stuff? I just can't stop scrolling through the pages it all looks so good. Sigh.

So! Solutions? I have none... First, I will read more food blogs and learn their secrets. Then, I will scope out better lit areas in my house. THEN if that fails I will set up a place outside where I can take the photographs with the help of natural light. THEN I will attempt to learn the ways of photoshop... Which I should probably already know considering as how I am a design student an all.


Mine could look this good too! But how? (Rubs chin in very Grinch-like manner...)

Hmm. This post is really just me venting my frustrations but it will also serve as a record of my resolution to experiment with photography and try new things when documenting my creations. They deserve it. And so do you! (But... in case I fail miserably, there are billions of other food blogs that take awesome photos that I can recommend hahaa. Oh boy. Here we go! Wish me luck.)