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

The Island of the Pelicans

Innocent sounding enough, but Native Americans avoided it, believing it to be cursed.  Early Spanish explorers initially called it La Isla de los Alcatraces, after the flocks of migratory birds that nest there; it would later be known simply as Alcatraz.  First a lighthouse, then a military garrison and prison, and finally, and most infamously, a federal prison housing only the most troublesome inmates who had a penchant for escape elsewhere.

Even during one of the most beautiful days I've ever experienced in San Francisco and amidst the throngs of tourists, there's something unsettling and eerie about the place.  Beyond the rumors of it being haunted, it's bleak and cold.  The natural light that streamed into the cell block created harsh contrasts and the incandescent lighting inside the cells themselves cast a sickly yellow tinge upon everything and everyone inside them.  It was a stark contrast to the glorious weather outside.

Perhaps the highlight of the trip was meeting an actual former prisoner, Bill Baker.  He has written a book about his experience and happened to be on-island during our visit.  We were fortunate enough to get signed copies and ask some questions... of course the boyfriend being far more thoughtful than I, asked the better question: What would you have mailed yourself, if you could have? He responded hilariously that he would have mailed himself either a pretty woman or a speedboat to get off the island.  It's amazing to me that he was able to maintain good spirits and humor despite all of that time locked up in a bleak environment not optimized to actually rehabilitate anyone.

Freedom and captivity

Welcome to Alcatraz

Cell blocks

A key hanging from the gun gallery

On any other island, it would just be a glorious day.  On Alcatraz, it further underscores the dilapidation.

So close, yet so far.

More

Active Shooting Hours: 4
Review Hours: 2
Hours to Date: 132

Sea Lions and San Francisco

The sea lions at Pier 39 are a San Franciscan institution, though they arrived to the docks only a few months before the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989.  They bark constantly and playfully jostle for space on the wooden docks, pleasing tourists, marine biologists, and the occasional photog.

Some of these shots were difficult purely because I couldn't get any closer to the animals beyond using the 55-200mm zoom lens, which made composition a challenge.  Some of that was resolved with post-editing and liberal use of cropping, but it makes me yearn for a telephoto lens.  I don't need one, but any stretch of the imagination, but I would love to be able to zoom in to capture expression in detail when moving closer isn't an option.

Still, I managed to get several interesting images out of 40 or so tries.

The sea lions' view of the city

Unsurprisingly, they all were gathered on the docks furthest away from the viewing area.

Making a ruckus

Plenty of dock space to go around

Active Shooting Hours: 1
Review Hours: 0.5
Hours to Date: 126