Tag Archives: Tartlette Blog

If you read The Pioneer Woman’s website, you’ll know that she recently posted another “visit to the ranch” giveaway weekend. This one features a late July weekend of macaron baking and food photography tutorials. Did I enter the contest? You betcha. Why? Because I just bought the food photography book published by her special guest, Helene Dujardin. If you’re a food blog junkie, you’ll know her work from her lovely Tartlette blog. I love Helene’s blog for her gorgeous food photography. Yes, her recipes are also stellar. She is a trained pastry chef, after all. But her luscious photographs are like no other. They’re food art. And since I have a new Canon EOS Rebel T2i (my first “big girl” camera) and absolutely no photography experience, I was thrilled to discover that Helene had published a digital food photography and styling guide. I immediately went to Amazon and ordered it, and couldn’t wait to dig in.

What I love most about Helene’s book is that it’s laid out in a start-to-finish manner, beginning with food photography basics and ending with an “after the capture” chapter on photo transfer, editing, storage and copyright tips.

In between, she shares tips for lighting, food staging/styling and composition. Helene shares her knowledge in a straight forward, easy to understand manner. And while I may never have a career as a professional food photographer, I am certain her guide will help me become a better overall photographer.

On that note, I would like to share some news. I was recently contacted by a graphic design company about the use of a photograph that appeared in my blog. It was a photo I took for my carnitas recipe. After exchanging a few e-mails, I agreed to allow them to use the photograph for a marketing campaign if the client chose to include my photo. Well, weeks later, the client did indeed select my photo for inclusion in their campaign, and I received a small check for the limited royalty-free use of my photo. That’s right. In the loosest possible use of the term, I am officially a professional photographer. It may be the world’s shortest lived career, but I was excited none the less. For now, I’m framing the final letter, the check and the photo for posterity’s sake. Even if this turns out to be a one hit wonder, I can at least look at it, smile and remember when.

Note: I’d like to thank Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker blog for introducing me to Plate to Pixel through a recent post. Proof positive, in my opinion, that you can always learn more by reading other bloggers. Thanks, Michelle!