Today I come to talk to you about Foodie by Raquel Carmona. Food photography is a booming specialty thanks, above all, to blogs in the first place and to RR. H.H. in second. It is mainly here, in the networks, where this genre has taken off to become what it is today. Pure gastronomic art.
Because gastronomic photography is pure art. In it, nothing is accidental, everything is meticulously chosen, from the ingredients, the photographic equipment, the composition and the light, to the history of the image.
This book comes to talk about the whole process, step by step, to turn your culinary photos into pure magic. Do we see it in detail?
RECOMMENDED FOR
You, if you want to achieve those incredible images that you have surely seen on social networks like Pinterest or Instagram, those images that invite you to want to eat those ingredients and dishes right there.
If you like cooking, going to the market, meticulousness is one of your qualities, you have patience, you enjoy the process of each photograph, and you are a perfectionist, this is your style of photography. And with this book and a lot of practice, those photos you dream of will be yours.
IT'S NOT FOR YOU IF...
If you don't have a foodie soul , you don't like to cook, if styling isn't your thing, if you don't have patience, or if you're not going to dare to work with manual mode. In that case, this type of photography may not be your thing ? .
FOODIE. THE FEAST OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND GASTRONOMIC STYLING
INTRODUCTION
Are you capable of getting all the juice out of your culinary photographs? Do you transmit an irrepressible desire to eat your dishes to those who look at your photographs? Are you capable of telling a story, seeing the beauty of an image where others see nothing? ?
With practice, patience, perseverance and step by step, the author encourages you to taste the book without haste, as if it were a good dish. By the end, you'll bring your food photos to life.
1. PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS: STARTING FROM SCRATCH
The author dedicates this chapter to all the adjustments necessary to succeed in any photographic discipline. It will explain in detail and in an entertaining and simple way everything related to the exposure triangle (diaphragm opening, ISO and shutter speed), shooting modes, white balance, and the advantages and disadvantages of working in RAW or in JPEG.
It emphasizes the importance of perseverance and practice as basic tools for learning and something that we have often commented on: the importance of reading your camera's instruction manual well.
Also, to liven up the reading, he gives us a recipe at the end of each chapter (in this one, the recipe for some delicious churros ?
).
2. WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?
Second essential topic for any type of photography: the equipment. The author analyzes here everything necessary as photographic equipment: camera types (compact cameras, Bridge, Evil, SLR or DSLR), sensor types, or what is the crop factor, and finally tips for choosing your camera.
Of course, he will also talk about lenses, brightness, focal length, etc. And finally, the most common accessories: tripods and heads, triggers and cables, flashes, bags, backpacks, filters...
He keeps us one last interesting section with his own team and the reason for his choices.
Oh, and Granola recipe ?
3. STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Well, now you know the most important settings and you have the right equipment, or at least you know which one you should have. Now you will see the necessary accessories for your foodie compositions , the props (dishes, fabrics, wood or backgrounds) and tips such as the choice of ingredients.
You cannot miss some notions of composition (rule of thirds, negative space, lines and horizon, golden ratio, framing format, planes, angles or types of focus).
Everything is explained clearly and with beautiful example images.
Oh, and a recipe for spaghetti putanesca at the end ?
4. FOOD STYLING OR CULINARY STYLING
This part is essential for our image to make the mouth water those who observe it. In this chapter, the author delves into the basic elements of foodie styling : the ingredients, the plating, or the colors and their possible combinations.
In this type of photography, the creators are us from beginning to end. That is why composing, placing the protagonist, creating an environment to explain your story through light, the human factor, the background... In short, all the decisions that lead you to the final image depend on you.
Final recipe for Strawberry Pie… ?
5. LIGHTING IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Without light, there is no photo. So this chapter is essential for any type of photography.
You will find here the different types of light and concepts such as the diffusion of light, the direction or orientation of the light, the distance and size of the light, the color temperature (very important to accurately represent the color of the food). ), colour, golden and blue hours and, finally, a section on tricks and exercises to master light in gastronomic or foodie photography .
How about a good plate of Cordovan salmorejo to liven up the reading? ?
6. TELLING A STORY
The art of transmitting is the key to any image, and learning to tell stories through photography should be the main objective of any person dedicated to photography, whatever the discipline.
In this chapter you will see how it is achieved through a step-by-step session, with photos, complete explanations about decisions, light choices, compositions, tricks, etc., of the preparation of a chocolate cake.
A luxury to be able to attend step by step to the creation of each one of the photos that appear in this chapter.
And of course, chocolate cake recipe for dessert ?
7. INSTAGRAM, THE FOODIE NETWORK PAR EXCELLENCE
How to make yourself known and inspired through this social network is the objective of this seventh chapter.
Here he will recommend you from choosing a username, showing your best work, creating your own niche, perseverance, hashtags , interaction, videos or the importance of stopping to analyze and, above all, the importance of being patient and being persistent.
It also includes a section of the image editing and design apps that she most recommends.
And of course, the final recipe, this time for fluffy pancakes ?
8. HOW TO SELL YOUR PRODUCT WITH BEAUTIFUL IMAGES
The image of any company is vital to position itself, to sell the need to have that product. That is why photography is so important in this process. We shop and eat by sight. Especially in gastronomic or foodie photography .
Here the author talks about the importance of showing reality and your best work, creating simple but direct photographs, taking different shots of the same product; about the importance of the combination of colors, backgrounds, telling a story, placing the product in a real scene, and a few essential tips to obtain good results in your photographs.
And to liven up the reading, tomato soup recipe for the end ?
9. BEHIND THE SCENES “BEHIND THE SCENES”
In this chapter, he shows step by step the work behind some of the images that appear in the book.
It teaches you to create an overhead image, to choose a background, the props, the light; to work scenarios with several elements, with little light, and several versions of the same product.
And Tarte Tatin to finish… OMG what would the Anglo-Saxons say…
10. TRICKS, TIPS AND MISTAKES YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE
In this chapter you will learn tips from the author that will blow your mind and, most importantly, save you a lot of work and mistakes.
From getting the ingredients not to dive in your soups, when to add water to the ingredients to add freshness, to give volume, to make flour fly, to keep some spaghetti upright, to photograph real smoke or even create a fake one, to give rhythm to your photographs with movement , etc.
It also addresses tricks in terms of details, colors and backgrounds, or the importance of working connected to the computer or creating our own scenarios.
And finally, a delicious recipe for chocolate cookies…
11.PHOTOSHOP
An image in the digital world is not finished until you process or edit it in your favorite program.
In this chapter, the author talks about her workflow with Photoshop and we will walk her through the editing of one of her images in this editor step by step.
Finally, a delicious grape jam. How are you staying? ?
12. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Finally, a chapter that I found most accurate and interesting. With all those recurring questions that the author receives as a specialist in foodie photography and that have not been reflected in other chapters of the book because they are very specific.
Among them you can find an answer to what kind of cloths are the best, tips to guide your own style, how the author started in this world, or how to get a really black background .
Oh, and roast chicken with potatoes :).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raquel Carmona is a teacher by vocation and a self-taught photographer who today works as a professional photographer and culinary stylist.
With almost 100K followers both on Instagram and on his blog, he is a benchmark in this type of photography due to his personal style and the quality of his images.
You can check his blog « Los tragaldabas«, where you will find recipes and various tips related to culinary photography, or visit their YouTube channel:
And finally I recommend that you follow her Instagram account where she has almost 100K, that's nothing: @raquel_carmona(I already do it ? ) because it is wonderful and its photos are a delight.
DETAILS
Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: Anaya Multimedia (Photo Club)
Language: Spanish
Dimensions: 18.5 x 24cm
Price: €26.12
THE BEST
All. It is very well written, it is clear in its explanations, it is very complete in terms of content. The writer's vocation as a teacher is evident. She likes (and knows) how to stream and doesn't keep tips and tricks up her sleeve. She writes generously and expounds all that she knows in it.
Similarly, regarding the design, the photos that illustrate the book are marvellous, it has a good size letter and the composition of the pages is adequate; the book breathes and is easy to read.
Oh, and they make you want to take pictures of ingredients, dishes, cakes or like crazy.
WORST
That you're on a diet when you get to the section on chocolate cake or tarte Tatin, or one of the delicious recipes that the author suggests at the end of each chapter ?
CONCLUSIONS
A very complete book to start from scratch in the world of culinary photography. I don't think there is any important topic that the author overlooks. This book will guide you step by step, from scratch and covering all possible scenarios in the magical world of culinary photography.
I hope you liked this recommendation. If so, before running out to prepare a delicious dish, I encourage you to share it on different social networks so that it reaches more interested people.
Thank you very much and until next time ?
