Thai Carrot Soup And A Busy Weekend Involving Art And A Homemade Light Box For Photography
First, if Thai Carrot Soup sounds appealing, you can find the recipe over at DC Foodies. It’s very easy to make and has a wonderful peanut taste with a bit of heat from the addition of a jalapeño pepper. Enjoy.
Next…..
This past weekend was sort of busy so unfortunately there is no farmers market update. On Saturday, Frank and I caught the Annie Liebowitz exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. We had no tickets, but stood in line with the rest of the 10am ticket holders and members. We thought there was a chance that if we joined as members, we could see the show which was otherwise sold out. Our gamble paid off and we joined as members (which we’ve been meaning to do for like-years now) and strolled in.
The exhibit was extraordinary and very inspiring to me. Liebowitz is, at her very best in the natural extemporaneous environment where spontaneous expressions and actions are lauded over posed studio subject matter. It made me imagine a lifetime of capturing moments in time- life and death. I am new to blogging, but not exactly new to photography. I was very interested in taking photographs when I was in high school. I remember my mother buying me a Canon AE-1 for my high school graduation. I took many photos with that camera, most of which are lost in some black hole of the universe-victims of too many moves in too few years. The camera remains however and from time to time I load up a roll of film and snap away, clumsily trying to think beyond the point and shoot era when focal points and depth of field mattered.
More recently with my food blogging, I have become interested in taking photos again-good photos. Digital technology can make anyone look good these days. Paired with PhotoShop and Picasa, I can turn out a decent likeness. But I want to capture the food and scenery as my eye sees it. To that end, my goal is to learn photography in the field and through more real study of books and the works of masters. Which brings me to my Sunday.
With the waning light that accompanies winter, my food photography has been pushed earlier into the day to capture the best light of all; sunlight. But short of eating dinner before 4 pm I decided to pony up some money and buy a light box in order to properly illuminate my subjects-as best as artificial light can do. Doing a google search on “light cubes”, “light boxes” and “studio in a box”, I came across a bunch of posts describing how easy and cheap it is to make your own light box at home. Here is the site which I used to guide me through this easy exercise. Basically you just need a box cutter, a cardboard box suitable for your needs, some poster paper, tissue paper and a light source with full spectrum bulbs (I used GE). The lights (from Home Depot) are cheap clip-on lights used by construction workers to illuminate low-lit places.
Here’s the box:
Here’s some still life shots:
So, if you’re inspired to make your food look as good as it tastes, make one of these light boxes- for around $20 you can do it!
I had planned on making my own light box in the next few weeks (I live in a basement apartment so I get zero natural light really) and came across the exact same site you linked above. I was curious if it really was as easy as the author claimed and as effective. You’ve convinced me it’s well worth it! Thanks!
It is easy, once you have all of your materials. The hardest thing to find was the clip lights-and they were very cheap at Home Depot.
Also, make sure you have a very sharp box cutter and it’s good to go.
I also am looking for a cheapy desk lamp (hinged so that it raises and lowers) so I can have another light above the top for more light.
This is a great and cheap way to start. I’m looking into things like strobes and umbrella lights, bounces etc. now. Here’s the site that really inspired me, and there’s lots more out there as far as serious foodie photo enthusiasts!
http://fotocuisine.com/about-us/