Behind the Scenes: Crostini with Caramelized Apples, Fontina + Rosemary [Part 1]
I am so excited to share this post with you today! Instead of my photos accompanying a recipe post, my friend Anna Guziak is behind the camera to help me give you a glimpse into what happens in the kitchen when I create and photograph a recipe.
Anna and I met about seven years ago when she was my wedding photographer, and this past fall, she took family photos for us. She is not only incredibly talented, but also probably one of the kindest people I've ever met. I'm not used to stepping in front of the camera, but Anna has an amazing ability to put you at ease and capture beautiful, real-life moments.
As you scroll through these images, I want to note a few points about my food blogging process. First, I do not have a photogenic kitchen. Anna makes it look good in her images, but you can very clearly see that I lack the Instagrammable white cabinets, marble countertops, and stainless steel appliances. So, when I photograph a recipe, I create a makeshift setup in my dining room that can be easily taken down when needed.
I move the dining table against the window for the best natural light I can get in my house and set up a few white foam boards for the photo backdrop. For many of my posts, I style the food on top of a marble pastry board. I also have a wood board, various linens, and a handful of other props that I use when I want to change things up.
Secondly, I am a complete mess when I cook and develop recipes. Even when I try the "clean as you go" technique, my kitchen looks like the aftermath of a hurricane. For this post, I tried to straighten up as best I could while still keeping it real. But much of the time, my kids’ leftover breakfast sits on the counter alongside food-splattered Post-its with recipe notes, pages torn out of food magazines, and at least a couple cookbooks or my iPad opened for reference. This particular day, I also had the help of family watching the kids while Anna and I worked, but normally I’m fighting to get it all done before the naptime clock expires. I’m usually still in my pajamas, too…but I figured no one really wanted to see that much of real life.
Anna took all of the photos in this post, and in a second blog post, I’ll share a few of my photos plus the recipe for the dish you see in these pictures (Crostini with Caramelized Apples, Fontina + Rosemary). In Part 2, I’ll also share more about the photography equipment I have and links to resources you may find helpful if you’re getting started with food photography.
Want to know more about what happens behind the scenes in my kitchen? Feel free to ask a question in the comments section! And make sure to check out the rest of Anna’s work over at AnnaGuziak.com!
