Playing with Smoke, #1

Trying out the smoke picture for the first time - after reading about the HOWTO pages online, I finally puchased the last piece of what I needed - Incense.

Setup a green background, off camera flash (Canon 540EZ at 1/4 power), Nikon D70 at 1/400 sec, aperture of f22-f29. Got a few keepers after some cropping.

I'd say it's easier than water droplet pictures, and it has some very moody/sensual effect with the smoke.

Food for Thought

Stuffed Chicken Wrapped in Bacon

WIth holidays coming up, I have a suggestion for those of you looking for a photo project, and perhaps a great gift idea.

Think about a family heirloom recipe book. Food is a big thing in so many cultures, and it plays an important role in family gatherings. Food can bring out comfort and fond memories; now a days, it is typical to be living away from your families, take an advantage when everyone's together, and document the family cooking process/experience.

Depending on the theme, this may take several sessions to complete, totaly up to you. Photograph your parents, grand parents while they prepare your favorite dish, or their famous secret recipe!

Once you have all of the material you needed, go to your on-line photo site and prepare a photo book, so instead of the usual wedding photo book, you are creating a family treasure!

If you have any experiences with creating photo books, feel free to share the info!

And don't forget, you will also end up with a nice meal at the end of the photo session! Yum.

Once you have gained the experience, I can think of this is a nice little work on the side to offer others. What grandma wouldn't want to pass along their favorite recipes in a nice little book to the next generation?

Ideas:

• Include loved ones! Food is great, but the people who prepare the food is the key here.
• Capture the process, or the finished product for reference. The photo books can be arranged to include many photos you wish to include, but don't get to cluttered. Just like the wedding book, this can also be elegant.
• Include a few pictures of the utensils used, the prep area (counter top), the fancy food mixer; also pictures of the table settings, fine china used, stemware, etc. Many of these items can be passed on to family members, few years from now, having the item in your hands, and in a book, can trigger strong memories.
• Capture the eating experience, eating, drinking, laughing at the table.
• Since dishes may be prepared at different households, ask others to document/capture their cooking process, so you can combine them later.
• How about your ideas?

Have fun!