This week I’m casing the menu, with Food Reviews hitting the blog in a big way next month, starting with my TOP TEN favourite places to brunch here in Perth. In preparation for this, I’ve been honing my food photography skills lately by putting my new Sony Xperia phone to the test.
While I’ve been reviewing eating establishments as part of my ‘mystery shopping’ work for a number of years, this rarely required any photo taking on my part. In fact the minute you draw attention to yourself or receive preferential treatment the mystery shop is void.
I strongly believe pulling out your DSLR, draws too much attention to yourself. Staff would no doubt assume you were there to review or blog about your adventures and in a lot of cases you wouldn’t necessarily be on the receiving end of a real customer experience. Which is what real reviews are all about.
These days though, everyone seems to be taking photos of their food and getting away with a quick photo or twenty on your mobile phone seems more normal than it should be. It certainly makes sneaking the odd photo to accompany a review blog post easier.
Timing is another huge consideration, especially when it comes to the temperature of the food. I don’t want the photography side of things impacting on how I review the food. If it takes me five minutes to set up the perfect shot, I can’t complain or report about my hot food being a touch on the cold side.
Ideally, I need to grab the perfect shot in just a few seconds. That means spending a bit of time getting to know my new phone a little better by taking lots of food photos when time isn’t of the essence.
It also means that when an invitation to attend a food demonstration on Valentine’s Day with local cook Sally Woods from Real Food Journey arrives in my inbox, I jump at the chance to attend and try to grab some not so sneaky photos while I’m there.
I had initially planned to take hubby along and call it a Valentine’s Day date but he rather oddly had other plans and Miss 13 (about to turn 14) joined me and true to form ended up helping with the demonstration at one point.
Sally’s cooking demonstration at Westfield Innaloo was impressive to say the least, providing me (and Miss 13) with the perfect recipes to make a gourmet Valentine’s Day picnic.
Sally has a real way with food and people in general. Especially the narky little man that felt the need to pop up behind her and put more than his two cents worth in on how you should cook meat during her demonstration. I believe he was insisting it was twelve whole minutes either side.
I was disappointed when he went back to his shopping and didn’t stick around for a taste test. Although I’m guessing he might have been stuck in his over cooked meat loving ways.
FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD
with Sally Woods from Real Food Journey
Valentine’s Day Cooking Menu
Potato cakes with lemon dill cream and smoked salmon
Tender seared beef and rocket salad
Caprese salad
Red Berry Pudding with vanilla sauce
I wrapped the recipe leaflet up and gifted it to Mr C, with a massive HINT HINT scrawled across the front. Sadly, I’m still waiting for him to produce the perfect picnic or any of my Valentine’s Day wish list (blogged here).
With a cafe about to open and several cooking classes on the horizon, I’m looking forward to ‘casing’ Sally Woods and her Real Food Journey in a big way this year.
WORTH CASING WEDNESDAY
If you have a blog post worth casing this week, this is the place to link up:
If you have any tips for photographing food when eating out, I would love to hear them.
A massive thanks to everyone that entered my ‘getting to know you giveaway‘ last week. I’m having a bit of time out, due to facing my fears head on and will be offline over the next few days. I will be emailing our winner, catching up with comments and casing your blog posts as soon as I’m back online.
All that lovely food now I’m hungry LOL
Hope all is well thanks for stopping by 🙂
Thanks. Just needing lots of time out at the moment. Hoping things return to normal soon.
Whipping out the DSLR definitely brings attention to us bloggers so I’m also trying to perfect my photo taking skills with my phone and even my iPad … love the photos in this post … they look great!
I didn’t think about the iPad for photos. I’m actually loving the new phone. I just need to find time to explore all the camera options it comes with.
I’m after the caprese salad and salmon. Good food shots.
I’m going to approach Sally and ask for permission to publish one of her recipes soon.
The food looks amazing!!! Im ready to have some salad!
It really was divine. I just need to convince Miss 13 to cook for me more often.
Do you know what I love about this post? It’s that your family were involved! As for being gifted this picnic, at least you actually think you MIGHT get it, I would not even bother! xxxx
With a family of foodies it’s hard not to have them involved when it comes to free gourmet food.
Call me delusional, but after the song and dance hubby performed in the lead up to the day, especially given he announced he is heading to sea next month, I was expecting big things, or anything. We did manage breakfast at 6am. It was after just 2 hours sleep on my part, so you can imagine how delightful I looked and felt. lol
Mmm, that looks sooo yummy. Wish you lived handy as I would be over to learn your secrets!
I wish you lived closer too. Would love to meet you and treat you to lunch.
Love the food! I am for that meat!
The meat was cooked to perfection.
I find food photography so difficult to look at post event, when you’re back home and faced with only 2-minute noodles in the pantry! That’s some kind of hell!
LOL I feel the same way.
What a rude man to interrupt the chef’s demonstration and tell her how to do things. As the saying goes, “Too many cooks spoil the pot.” One cook is enough! 🙂 The food looks fabulous. 😛
LOL I just noticed he makes an appearance in one of the photos.
Love the food and I find it hard also to get the cool food shot.
Hopefully I will get better with practice.
Oh my all the dishes look so delicious!
I know, I’m really wanting the fruit pudding right about now.
mmmm I love a good caprese salad! Sounds like a fun time 🙂
It certainly was an interesting way to spend the afternoon. Miss 13 is a bit of a foodie and only just starting to experiment in the kitchen.
I always feel guilty taking pics of food… Don’t even know why really …
Me too. I suppose because it’s made to be eaten, not played (or photographed) with. LOL
Your food photos look great. I’m drooling over those potato cakes with lemon dill cream & smoked salmon!
They were divine. The lemon dill cream (made from scratch) was amazing.
Raych, I think you did a great job with your photography! But now I will whine…..I WANT TO EAT THERE! It looks fabulous! The thrity some hour flight might be a bit too much…
Glad Miss 13 got to go! 🙂
I’m only online very briefly following my MRI yesterday. I had a bit of a reaction and needing time out with more tests about to commence. I will pop by your blog as soon as I can. Have been thinking about you.
I’ve never heard of the phone you have but gee it takes good photos!! I know what you mean about being discreet when taking photos of your food at a restaurant or cafe. I feel quite self conscious doing it and because of that usually snap pretty crap photos with my phone. No way would take in my DSLR though LOL unless it was a prior arrangement with the said restaurant and cafe and I was being paid!! The food at this place looks fab. Shame Perth is so far away from me! Boo hoo!
I’m really loving the phone. I was only suppose to road test it for two weeks and almost a month later, I’m finding it hard to give up. I do miss the iPhone apps though.
I do a lot of food photography and yes, I whip out the DSLR. Just so much better in low light. I also embrace the fact that I take photos now. If I notice someone looking I give them a nonchalent “What? You don’t take photos of your food? How odd are you!” look. I do try to be discreet though and have the camera ready for a few quick snaps as the food arrives so my love doesn’t get antsy.
I wouldn’t mind whipping out the DSLR if it was an organised event. Not for a review though. Luckily for me, I’m starting the blog reviews with breakfast and brunch and hopefully by the time I get around to dinner, I will know my way around my new phone camera. It has night functions, I just haven’t experimented with them.
great photos with your phone raych!
been thinking about you and I hope you are feeling ok today!
much love m:)X
I’ve been thrown a bit of a curve ball this week, but doing ok. Needing some time out, which I will get over the weekend. Thanks for thinking of me.
Looks yum (except the salmon yuk!). Hope you’re feeling ok.
What a week Toni. Hoping to bring more to the 52 weeks of memories photo challenge next week. What is the prompt?
on the floor 🙂
Yum, yum yum! I want some of all of it right now. Good thing I have some banana bread just waiting to me to eat it for dessert… 😉
Gluten free banana bread? I might need to grab the recipe from you.
How cool that she got to go up and help!
I love brunch, it’s my most favourite meal to eat out!
My favourite too Zita.
I think it is you who should be giving us food photography tips – your photos are pretty ace and it all looks all kinds of delicious! I can’t wait to salivate over your brunch spots!
I feel so bad taking photos at these things and holding proceedings up. Mind you, my quick shots was nothing on the guy that stood up mid demonstration and stopped everyone in their tracks so he could take photos.
I spend a lot of time travelling to far away places, and my photos always include lots of foody ones! Could be something to do with me being a chef I suppose!
What’s your favourite food to cook when you are off duty Keith?
Anyone else hungry now? It all looks amazing!
I’m wishing I could click my fingers and this meal would magically appear right about now.
Now I’m hungry!! Great pics! Have a great week and thank you for hosting and for linking up with the OMHG WW! xx Ashleigh
Thanks Ashleigh. You have a great week too.
I always feel a bit weird taking photos of my food when I’m out so I tend to rush them and then when I go to use them, I never like them. But perhaps I just need to give it some more practise. I’m glad I had dinner before looking at your pics though, otherwise I’d be drooling (again).
That’s exactly how I feel when it comes to taking food photos.
I think everyone is taking photos now – well places I go 😉
These photos are delicious. I love rocket salad with anything now.
I love a good rocket salad too.