In the making of this website, I was lucky enough to be able to work alongside the very kind and professional Craig Kinder and his assistant Kelly. It is rather nerve-racking for a chef doing a first time food photo shoot. However, once into the swing of things and with gentle encouragement, the nervousness dissipates.
Being involved in a food photography shoot is certainly exhilerating. I learned about black holes in food shots and lighting angles such as bird's eye and oblique. Viewing my food in a different way, via an iPad screen hooked up to a camera, was most certainly a new experience. Add to that the power of colour saturation and photoshop, where knife skills and the art of a perfectly straight line are scrutinised under the detailed lens of a food photographer. It was one hell of a learning experience.
But best of all was the fact that I cooked the food and plated it pretty much how I would serve it. No preservation gels, no 'fake' icecream made from potato, no oiling of old meat to make it look 'fresh'. Just well positioned lighting, the correct equipment, top quality fresh food and a very good photographer with a wealth of knowledge. All the photos taken by Craig Kinder are featured on this website and we hope to work with Craig again in the future to bring more amazing plates of food to life. To see more of Craig Kinder's food photography work including photos from recent cookbooks such as Sophie Zalokar's book Food of the Southern Forests, check out his website or visit his Facebook page.