Saturday, July 31, 2010

Tasting


I pass no comment on the throngs of barbarous unwashed Stocktonian masses who descended upon the mess I set forth. But I must share some images with you.

S. Margot tells me I should shut off the flash and strive for subtlety and I think she may be right. Please do give me feedback. I'm still new at the food photography thing.

The first is a bacterially fermented assemblage of tiny cukes (cut up afterward), peppers and cibollata onions. It worked because we had a serious cold spell for several weeks,

and these guys did their thing on the counter. Woo! Pucker sour and spicy with Thai chilies.
Then this morning I baked a bread. Actually started it last night. Left it for 8 hours to rise, and just look at the poufy even crumb! A little sour, good crust. When it works it does work. I'm glad I have all this for myself this week.


And here's that bungy salami. Toscano Piccante, right? Spiked with chili pepper, otherwise not much different form the smaller one, but bigger, dried less, with a pronounced sourness that somehow is really fetching. I have a feeling I am seriously getting the knack of this.
I wish you could taste it. Drop by. In lieu of that, let me know if this new flashless mode works.
I do always like a good flash though.

5 comments:

Deana Sidney said...

That is one handsome salami, Mr Albala! The bread is perfect, as you say... what a sandwich that will make.

Flashless photography = drama. With it you lose flatness and gain dimension... reflected light is the best... ready for my close-up Mr DeMille!

Margot said...

I think that picture of the salami beats the earlier one hands down! And what a glorious loaf of bread.

If not using flash, you may need to be a little more aware of where your light is coming from and making sure nothing (including you) is coming between most of the light and the subject--that would avoid things like the shadows over the pickles. not that shadows are always a bad thing.

Ken Albala said...

Thanks Guys! So how do I reflect light? Do I need one of those big shiny things? And does that mean what it think it does? Just reflecting natural sunlight onto the subject?

Heather said...

No flash, natural light if you can, and use the macro setting if you're going to be close than 2 feet from your subject. Most cheapo point-and-shoots should be able to accomplish decent shots this way. Plus free editing on sites like picnik.com go a long way toward correcting imperfection. :)

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