Photography internship with Lara Ferroni, Day 1
photo I took with my Canon Rebel XT, 1.8/50mm lens
photo I took with Lara’s camera, and her 100mm lens
Today was my first day interning with Lara Ferroni of Cook and Eat. Lara shoots for Epicurious.com, Gourmet.com, Sasquatch Books, as well as many other local publications, including Seattle Magazine. For my first lesson, Lara taught me the basics (aperture, shutter speed, how to use the histogram), as well as different lighting techniques (negative bounce, velum sheets taped over windows, glass bottles in background to refract light instead of reflecting it on the subject.) Pictured above is the espresso I shot around lunch time: the first photo was taken with my current camera and lens, while the second was taken with Lara’s camera and her 100 mm lens. I asked her to critique my second photo, and this is what she said:
Postives:
-Lara liked how the light was hitting the bottom of the glass
-she liked how straight the image was (although if you take a crooked photo, you can correct it on the computer)
Negatives:
-the rim of the glass is over-exposed
I knew the rim of the glass looked over-exposed on all the photos I took, but I didn’t know how to correct it. She said I could’ve held a small piece of plastic bubblewrap or similar piece of plastic transparency near the light source (a side window taped with velum) to soften the rim. Also, you can use a white or yellow Post-it note stuck onto the velum to diffuse the light a little bit. (Very helpful tips I will remember for next time!)
Lara took this photo of the roasted cherries with thyme and bacon with a 50mm/1.4 lens
When I got to Lara’s house this morning, she mentioned that she had a delicious appetizer of roasted cherries with bacon at a potluck last night, and wanted to shoot them for her blog. These were so easy to make–simply wrap a piece of bacon around a pitted cherry, and tuck in a small sprig of thyme. (I imagine these would be good with a piece of pecorino tucked inside each cherry too!) She took photos with different lenses, explaining what she was doing after each shot. I watched her move the bounces around the table, sometimes shifting glass bottles in the background to create a more interesting image. Then, she chose her favorite photo, and played with it in Lightroom 2. For the image above, she used a negative (or black) bounce by a window behind her camera. She wanted to take away a speck of light that was showing up in the upper right corner of the plate. When she got the speck of light down to a small, manageable size, she used the Clone tool in Lightshop to blend it away.
Lara also took photos of the raw ingredients with her favorite lens, a 90mm tilt-shift lens. Oh my. I am sure she will post those photos on her blog soon, so you’ll just have to take my word that the pictures taken by that lens are incredible. The tilt-shift lens changes the angle of the “blur” you sometimes see in the rear of a photo subject in focus (i.e. a tilt-shift lens is able to blur the side edges of a photo subject, something that your eye is not able to do.) This lens retails for $1400, if you’re interested in purchasing one!
Lara and I also looked at examples of work she’s shot for cookbooks in the past, and one absinthe cookbook she’s currently shooting. She is a fan of Christopher Hirsheimer’s food photography, so we looked at some cookbooks Christopher shot, and also some cookbooks that featured bad food photography. Finally, we ended our lesson at the Queen Anne Farmer’s Market, where she let me use some of her different lenses. I’ll post those photos tomorrow.
In the meantime, if you have a food photography question for Lara, leave it in the comments and I’ll see if she is willing to answer them!
Posted: July 16th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
Comments
Comment from lorna
Time July 16, 2009 at 4:56 PM
I’m very fortunate! Thanks Jen.
Comment from Jackie
Time July 16, 2009 at 5:01 PM
I’m wondering if Lara gives workshops/lessons, or was this just a private project with just you and her?
Comment from Kamran Siddiqi (The Sophisticated Gourmet)
Time July 16, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Wow, I wish I could see what photographers see in a picture. She is amazing. And great photos!
Comment from lorna
Time July 16, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Jackie: Lara generously offered a few spots for internships about a month ago on her blog, and I emailed. I’ve known her for awhile because she takes my photos for Seattle Magazine. I don’t know if she’s thinking of doing workshops/lessons in the future, but I will ask her!
Kam: Thanks! She has a great eye. I learned a lot.
Pingback from Cook & Eat » Blog Archive » Best Potluck Food Ever
Time July 16, 2009 at 6:00 PM
[...] simply could not stop eating them. So much so, I knew I’d be making my own version today with Lorna. Needless to say, there were none left by the end of the [...]
Comment from Lucy Vaserfirer
Time July 16, 2009 at 7:42 PM
Thanks for asking for reader questions. I would like to know if Lara could recommend any how-to books or other resources for food bloggers/aspiring food photographers that aren’t lucky enough to have these one-on-one lessons.
I can’t wait to read about what else you learn with her!
Comment from lorna
Time July 16, 2009 at 9:13 PM
Hi Lucy, I think I might be able to answer that–Lara suggested Digital Food Photography by Lou Manna to me. The pictures aren’t the best, but the information is great.
Comment from oysterwine
Time July 16, 2009 at 9:23 PM
What is “bounce”?
Comment from lorna
Time July 16, 2009 at 9:33 PM
A bounce is, I believe, any piece of styrofoam (or similar substance) used to “bounce” light off the subject, to create softer lighting (or darker, moodier lighting), depending on the atmosphere you want to create in the photo.
I will check with Lara tomorrow to make sure I got that definition correct.
Comment from Kate
Time July 16, 2009 at 9:52 PM
Looks like you’re learning a lot already. I look forward to reading and seeing more.
Comment from Julie
Time July 16, 2009 at 11:36 PM
Lorna, thanks for sharing this. Was great to see you two at the market today doing your stuff, and am very eager to see the pix.
Comment from The Kitchenette
Time July 17, 2009 at 7:28 AM
Hi Lorna, just found your site today, but I’m already loving it. I would love to hear Lara’s recommendations to amateur food photographers (like myself) who would like to improve their photography. I will certainly be picking up the book you mentioned to Lucy (other recommendations would always be appreciated) but if you or Lara have some other tips on how to improve your shots, I would love to hear them. Thanks!
Comment from Sara @ Our Best Bites
Time July 17, 2009 at 8:11 AM
What a fun blog- good luck with your interning adventures and thanks for letting us all learn along with you!
Comment from lorna
Time July 17, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Thanks all!
Kitchenette: I’ll ask Lara for more book recs today! And also some tips on improving photography.
Comment from Lucy Vaserfirer
Time July 17, 2009 at 8:43 AM
Thanks for sharing the book rec. I know it’s a good one because it just so happens I’ve already read it from cover to cover. Will be checking back in on your blog frequently for more great info!
Comment from Jenn
Time July 17, 2009 at 9:33 AM
wow what an awesome experience! I can wait to hear more!!
Comment from Gracie
Time July 17, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Lorna, it is so exciting that you’re interning with Lara, who shoots so beautifully and you are sure to learn so much! I have to say though, one of the things I love about your blog is the sumptuous, mouth-watering beauty of all your photos! So don’t underestimate the talent you already have!
Comment from matt
Time July 17, 2009 at 1:39 PM
so jealous. Love Lara’s photography, she is such a wonderful and helpful person too.
Comment from Nurit – 1 family. friendly. food.
Time July 17, 2009 at 4:50 PM
Sounds like good times…
Comment from lorna
Time July 17, 2009 at 11:54 PM
Gracie: Thanks so much! What a nice thing to say. I have a lot to learn, and hope to make huge improvements in the coming years.
Comment from Q.
Time July 18, 2009 at 1:14 PM
WOW. What a great opportunity. I’m such a novice at food photography but I love learning about it. Can’t wait to hear more.
Comment from mallory elise
Time July 20, 2009 at 12:10 PM
how did you get that internship! im in seattle and want a photo internship so bad. lucky you im jealous.
Comment from raj @ the hungry cook
Time July 21, 2009 at 7:45 AM
Loved reading about your internship. 
Wish i could intern with someone that amazing!!
Comment from Jenn
Time June 13, 2010 at 9:15 AM
how did you find an internship with a food photographer?
Pingback from Lara Ferroni (Food Photographer & Writer, Seattle, Washintgon) » Blog Archive » Best Potluck Food Ever
Time April 9, 2012 at 5:35 PM
[...] I simply could not stop eating them. So much so, I knew I'd be making my own version today with Lorna. Needless to say, there were none left by the end of the day. I think I'm just going to be quiet [...]
Comment from Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction
Time July 16, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Wow – what a great experience to work with such a great food photographer… I’m jealous!