I am definitely not a food photographer

How does that Killers lyric go? I got soul, but I'm not a soldier.

My take is: I'm a foodie, but not a food photographer.  Much clunkier, but true point.

I love food.  Probably a little too much, given my now super rigorous shedding for the wedding wellness plan.  But, boy, do I suck at photographing food.

I don't think this is entirely my fault, after all, food styling is a profession for a reason.  A quick google search will reveal all kinds of crazy secrets, from swaps with real foods (but not the ones the photograph is supposed to be capturing) to just using ... other stuff, like sunscreen for milk to keep cereal crispy-looking.  Not to mention the use of tools like brushes, tweezers, and rulers even in the setting and plating of real food. 

I totally understand it from a visual and composition perspective - for most people, the first step in craving the food on your plate is by seeing something tempting with your eyes.  But, when I'm presented with some delicious food, the first thing I want to do is taste it while it's fresh - steaming if it's hot or frozen if it's cold.

Case in point: not a stunning photograph, but one of the most amazing and interesting things I have ever eaten

Foie Gras - Terrine with Maple and Apple
Eleven Madison Park | New York City, NY

Don't get me wrong, I am 100% the person who quickly snaps a photo of my food with my iPhone before I tuck into it.  Mostly to remember the experience and what I ate, but also partly to share on social media.  

That being said, I'm not the kind of person who will drag a full DSLR/lighting/staging setup along with a food stylist's Mary Poppins bag of tricks (seriously, how obnoxious would that be) into a restaurant with me when all I wanted to do was to go in and eat some damn tasty food.  

I'm sure we've all witnessed and snarkily judged people (Elite Yelpers? Bloggers?) in restaurants who interrupt the whole experience for everyone they're with because they have to set the perfect stage for their photo.  Nobody (except maybe the business owner, who is actually trying to sell food) cares that much, get over yourself. 

I'm just not that kind of photographer and I'm not sorry about it.  I like to be fully immersed and capture moments and tell stories authentically with my photos.  And I love being able to call those shots and be selfish and picky because it's not my job.

One of my better snaps that definitely makes me want to eat this again.

Tuna 3 Ways
Sushi Wasabi, a hole in the wall omakase-style restaurant in Tustin, CA

I was so eager to dig in, I squeezed the lemon first.  Also, I managed to cut off half the oysters from the shot, not that they're that photogenic anyway.

Fresh Oysters on the Half Shell
Hog Island Oyster Co. | San Francisco, CA

This actually came out okay, I think because we were sitting outside, so there was some indirect afternoon light.

Assorted Charcuterie Board
Bestia | Los Angeles

I think this photo came out better again, because we sat outside and it was early evening, so there was lots of natural light.  It still looks a little messy though, composition-wise. 

Wafu Carbonara - bacon, egg, and ramen
Katsuya | Glendale, CA

A hidden gem discovery while on a work trip.  Eating by myself meant I had an entire table to move stuff around.

Skinny Jeans, served in a bowl: egg whites, goat cheese, avocado, spinach, scallions, roasted sweet potato
Pulp Lifestyle Kitchen | Salt Lake City, UT

Cheers to those food and lifestyle bloggers who take beautifully styled photos of their food alongside a recipe.  My homemade noms almost never turn out that nicely, usually due to time and space constraints.  I don't generally have the time to plate food I just cooked and set lighting/camera position because that means either plating ridiculously hot food or accepting that I will be eating cold food because I was too busy photographing.  The lack of time was especially true when I was juggling full-time work and part-time MBA and it's hard to get a cleanly composed photo in a small apartment kitchen setup. 

Potstickers, not even plated.  I was just pleased I batch-made these for the freezer and they seemed to turn out fine in the pan.

Active Shooting Time: Basically 0 - I spend seconds taking these photos before I eat, so it's not worth tracking
Time Spent Reading about Food Styling and Reviewing My Photos for Patterns: 2 hours
Hours To Date: 647

Unconventional Las Vegas

The scintillating city of excess - replete with bacchanal revelers looking for a weekend of carefree debauchery... which will, of course, stay in Vegas.  I find this city and the entire industry built on hedonism to be fascinating... mostly it always underscores the importance of balance for me.

I don't know anyone who can or wants to sustain the endless drinking, eating, and partying for more than a few nights at a time.  In economic terms, it suffers from diminishing marginal utility - not only is it increasingly physically exhausting, it also delivers less and less enjoyment per each additional night.  In many ways, it's a reminder that we can all burn out doing any activity or piece of work and to ensure I have some variety in my life.

To be sure, I ate myself silly at establishments like Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak and Mon Ami Gabi, filled with all kinds of the noveau naughty ingredients (none of which, I happen to agree with): gluten and dairy.  Not to mention all of the conventional terrible things for you: fat, salt, sugar, rare steaks, cholesterol-filled seafood... In any case, after that weekend, I immediately myself on a repentant diet with lots of fibrous fruits and vegetables.

Craftsteak prie fixe menu dessert tasting - chef's choice.  Liberal application of Instagram magic. Clockwise from top: fresh fruit, chocolate indulgence with chocolate ice cream, coconut lime and raspberry sorbets, and cinnamon monkey bread with vanille ice cream.  Paired with a Polish dessert wine.

Mon Ami Gabi - where your cappuccino can come in a bowl larger than the cup of French Onion soup.

But I wanted a different experience and adventure to photograph with the DSLR and thus, we went off-roading.  My amazing sorority sister who happens to live in Vegas recently bought a new Jeep and graciously took us out on a trail that wrapped us around Las Vegas via Rainbow Gardens Rd.

Hi Jeep!

Quite overcast, which made it a comfortable day trip, but did make the pictures less dramatic since it flattened the highlights and shadows and softened the contrast.  Most of the pictures have had some additional editing during review to punch up the contrast a bit, but it's no replacement for the correct lighting to convey a mood.

Along the winding road

When dirt meets asphalt

The Strip from the trail's end

Active Shooting Hours: 4
Review Hours: 2
Hours to Date: 111

Kentuckian Cuisine

Prior to my trip out to Louisville, I never really thought extensively about the food of Kentucky beyond Harlan Sanders's Kentucky Fried Chicken.  I found foods of Louisville to be a wonderful balance of southern decadence sprinkled with international influence.  Not so southern that I felt like a stick of butter was about to lodge itself and harden in my arteries, but southern in that there were fried elements, collard greens, and cornbread.  And while there is some component of Midwestern influence (since Kentucky borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north), it wasn't obnoxious like the previous run-ins I've had with Midwestern food (cheddar cheese melted on apple pie really doesn't work).

Unsurprisingly, between San Francisco and Louisville, I managed to gain about 7lbs.  Luckily, 2 of those were just water weight as a result of increased salt intake.  I've managed to whittle down the remainder and am almost back down to pre-drinkcation weight by getting runs and weights in and getting back onto the low-carb wagon.

I am not usually one to take pictures of my food, but I really felt compelled to, despite the fact that I'd be fulfilling the cringe-worthy Asian tourist stereotype.  As far as picture quality, the restaurants were all a little dark so I had to open up the aperture and ended up with less than optimal focusing... good thing I didn't go into this aspiring to be a food stylist/photographer.

The bourbon balls were left unguarded at Woodford... little dark chocolate truffles with chocolate bourbon filling - definitely took home a couple boxes for gifts and bad mood pick me ups.

Tournedos topped with sweet potato curls and sweetbreads, cooked rare, of course.

Hands down the best eggs benedict I've ever had with avocado, chorizo, and topped on a corn cake.

More Noms
Hours to Date: 60