Focus On Food Photography for Bloggers (Focus On Series)

Sharing your kitchen concoctions on your personal food blog has never been as popular as it is right now, but if you've ever had trouble getting your tasty temptations to look like pretty plates on camera, you know how difficult it can be to take amazing pictures of food. Matt Armendariz, of Mattbites food blog fame, shares his experiences and best practices for creating wonderful food photos in Focus On Food Photography for Bloggers. Written specifically for you the blogger, Matt discusses the ins and outs of equipment, lighting, composition, propping, sparking your inspiration, and getting creative, all with what you have on hand at home! Learn how to avoid common pitfalls with foods that are notoriously camera shy, how to successfully snap your dinner at a restaurant as well as on your kitchen table, and how to style your food with what you have in your cupboards. He also includes advice on post-processing, posting, and protecting your prized images. As well as on his blog, Matt's photography has been featured in The Skinny Bitch Cookbook, on Martha Stewart, Paula Deen's Best Dishes, and Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, along with numerous food magazines and newspapers. Let this seasoned blogger give your food photography the boost it needs to really make your readers salivate!

Matt Armendariz is a photographer, writer, avid traveler and blogger that specializes in food, drink and tasty spots all over the world. His food blog, www.mattbites.com, was voted as one of the Top 10 Food Blogs in the World by London's Times Online and was recently selected by GOOP's Gwyneth Paltrow as one of her 10 favorites food blogs. Mattbites focuses on all things flavorful and has been recognized by The New York Times, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Saveur, Bon Appetit, Gourmet as well as tastemakers like Tori Burch, Design*Sponge and a variety of food and lifestyle editors. With appearances on the Martha Stewart Show, Paula Deen's Best Dishes, Gordon Ramsay's Hell Kitchen and various Food Network and Cooking Channel shows, Matt's motto is that he's a "man obsessed with food, drink and everything in between." As a professional food photographer, his work as appeared in the pages of Bon Appetit, Time Magazine, Coastal Living and online at Martha Stewart and Food Network, as well as a variety of editorial and advertising assignments. He recently photographed a new global campaign for Coca Cola and the 2012 Olympics, coming out next year. His first cookbook, On A Stick!, was released in May of this year. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner Adam Pearson, a food stylist. You can find Matt online at www.mattbites.com, on twitter at @mattarmendariz and see his portfolio at www.mattarmendariz.com.

The Nuts & Bolts - Intro to Food Photography - Lenses & Cameras - Depth of Field - Light, Light, and More Light - Types of Light: Natural, Strobe, On-Camera Flash, Flood, etc. - Modify That Light! - Equipment: Using What Ya Got! - Color Temperature & Color Balance - Workflow Creativity - Challenges & Difficulties - The Creative Process - Composition (rules of third, negative & positive space, etc) - Inspiration Is Everywhere Styling - All About Props - Food Styling 101 Tips & Tricks / The Real World - Matt's Top Ten Tips for Food Photography - Shooting In A Restaurant - Difficult Foods To Photograph And What You Can Do About It - Help! I'm photographing my dinner! Resources & Links