Antipasto Skewers and Foodie Photography

A while back I was given the idea of a food photography post from a company called Light.  I was very flattered, but also a little embarrassed to tell them that I'm really not much of a photographer. I explained the challenges of taking photographs in my own kitchen, i.e. it's too dark, my space is limited, and there's even a dog underfoot.  They went on to explain that photography and cooking are very similar in that there are so many factors that contribute to creating a good final product, and they were interested in hearing how food bloggers like myself adapt their individual situations to produce good photographs.  Light is working on a food photography project, and I was invited to participate!  Thanks to their encouragement, I created these Antipasto Skewers with some straightforward photography tips in mind.  Like photography, they are simple to create, but the final product has a serious wow factor. 

A wonderful snack and appetizer.
Look at the brilliant color!
The perfect go-to snack.
Even better for the upcoming
Summer BBQs.

My kitchen walls
are black.  Lighting is a big challenge
in my kitchen.  I usually try to open curtains and
let in as much natural light as possible.

Sometimes natural light isn't enough.
I've been known to sneak the lamp from my
sewing table onto the kitchen counter, sans shade
for an additional light source.

I try to focus on the food as much as possible.
So you don't see the clutter in the background.
I may be a food photographer and blogger, but first
and foremost I'm a wife, mom and woman with
a messy kitchen just like everyone else.
So when I take a picture of my antipasto skewers...

What you don't see is the mess in the background.There's
always a Diet Coke, a dish rag and usually ingredients for
a million other things when I'm cooking.

The biggest space on my counter happens to be in front of
my display of favorite cookbooks.  I think they make a
nice colorful background for my photos so that's usually where
I place my dish and take my pictures.

I try to zoom in so you don't see that is also my catch-all
spot for recipes, my grocery list, and to-do list.

As I said, my counter space is limited.  Why? Well we have
our food sealer, food processor, toaster, three utensil holders
and two mixers out on the counter.  I guess you could say
we are true foodies around here.  Two mixers is a bit of an
extravagance, but one is for very large tasks, and the baby mixer
is my favorite for everyday cooking.

When I focus on the food you don't see all of
those appliances in the background.  All you see is the
food.  And sometimes a bit of color.  Whenever possible
I'll try to add a napkin or place mat to liven up the photo.
My counter tops are grey and when you use a white serving dish,
the photo seems washed out.

I also try to capture the food from an angle.  When I stand directly
over the dish for an "aerial view" I make a shadow and
the food just doesn't look as pretty.

Here are the skewers from the side.  You can even see
the char on the fire roasted red peppers.  See how those
cookbooks are barely in view?  It's okay because
they are out of focus.  The important part of the image
is the food.  You can even see the bits of peppercorn
in the salami.  When you see that, can't you almost
taste that salami?  Like my husband always says,
"We eat with our eyes first."

Food photography has come a long way.
Check out this 1950's meal.  They've got the whole
table in the image.  Plus that groovy plant and lots of
artwork in the background.  I'm not sure if we are supposed
to focus on the shrimp cocktail or that giant lettuce bowl.

These days the trend in food photography is to zoom in and
capture the food.  It's okay to show the crumbs on the plate
or a half-eaten cookie.  It looks so much more lifelike this way
doesn't it?

Light has the answer to every food photographer's struggle.
The Light L16 has 16 lenses that work together to produce
pictures that are worth a thousand words.

And yes, there really is a dog underfoot!
Here's Ghirardelli "Elli" for short, hoping a crumb gets dropped.
Check out the wagging tail action shot!

Antipasto Skewers

1 carton Ciliegine or Bocconcini (Mozzarella Balls), drained
1 package Italian salami
1 small jar Pepperoncini peppers, drained
1 small jar roasted red pepper pieces, drained
small skewers

Slice the salami into bite size chunks.  It the Pepperoncini peppers are large in size, cut those into bite sized pieces as well.  On each skewer place a Mozzarella ball, piece of salami, Pepperoncini pepper, and piece of roasted red pepper.  Place on platter and serve.

Other skewer ingredient possibilities:

pitted olives
pickled okra
artichoke hearts



Prep Time:  Approximately 10 minutes     Cook Time: 0