Recently, I had the honor and privilege to attend a photography and styling workshop by blogger extraordinaire and cookbook author Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille. I have been following Aran’s blog for a couple of months and find her photography unique and truly inspiring.
I have been struggling with my photography for over a year now and I’m always interested in improving my skills(a.k.a perfection), so I was beyond ecstatic when I learned that Aran was coming to New York! I literally registered online seconds after registration commenced.
I was in awe to see a master at her game. I was mesmerized by her talent and her passion for food and food photography.
I was elated to be surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts. No one found it weird that I was intrigued by the beauty of food. No one looked at me like I was a crazy coo-coo nut when I lingered over, studied and styled the contents of a plate, with a camera in hand. No one thought it was comical when I stood on a ladder to capture the right angle. It was comforting to know that there are more people like me out there….and I am not “eccentric” after all (please note family and friends). I felt normal for about seven hours.
What I gathered that day and in the past year is that no one can teach you photography, the only way to learn photography is to photograph and photograph and then do it some more. Be inspired by other people’s styles of photography but create your own style. In the words of one of my favorite quotes, “be yourself, everyone else is taken”. This world would be a very uninteresting place if we were all identical, wouldn’t it?
So please bear with me as I continue to learn the art of photography and make many mistakes along the way. I will eventually find my own style…but it may take awhile….What’s important is that I enjoy what I do and I am passionate about it. I am the first one to admit that I am not yet very good at this, but I will continue to challenge myself, because I have learned that this is only way to learn and grow.
My work of art……by the way, this is a tartine with herbed goat cheese, figs, red onion and serrano ham….
I made it again this week to snack on…now a favorite of mine..
….did I mention I ate the contents of the plate after shooting…I don’t even know if eating of the props was allowed…well, too late now…
This was easy, but Trinidadian dishes are much more difficult to photograph……I do have a real challenge ahead of me…
This is blurry….because I was more interested in eating than photography at this point….
Potato and egg frittata…I know Aran mentioned another “Basque” name for this dish…but you know the deal…I was too busy eating to listen carefully or to take notes…..
This salad was light and refreshing with a lemon and olive dressing…with parsley I believe…
All the dishes really complimented each other…simple, hearty and delicious.
Yours truly styled this herself…
Berries in a bowl..on a plate…on a dish towel…
This pic was styled by Aran.
Thank you for joining me on this journey and hope you continue to enjoy my pics, even if they are less than perfect…However, the recipes are great!
Hope to be back soon,
Photographing with love,
Ria
All photographs on this blog were taken by me and are protected by copyright laws. Please do not use / copy without permission and credit to cookingwithria.com.
Very interesting post. I also love Aran's photography and was always curious about her workshops. I agree with you, everyone should just develop their own style… Your pictures are beautiful 🙂
Wow! How awesome is it that you got to work with Aran. I am a huge fan. Beautiful work on your part. I laughed in agreement when you said Trini food is hard to style and I immediately thought of doubles. I have yet to see a perfectly styled doubles