DISCLOSURE: My attendance, travel, accommodations and speaking at Blog Brûlée was sponsored. I was not paid to write the following post. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Over the years of being a food blogger, I have been to a conferences, events, retreats and blogging get-togethers. Whatever the topic or scale, they never fail to make my head spin and completely rev up my food blogging engines. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to get to speak at Blog Brûlée, an invitation only conference for healthy food bloggers, at Smugglers’ Notch Resort, right here in my home state of Vermont.
Not only did I get to share my food photography tips as a speaker, but I was also able to attend the other sessions. I learned so much in every single one! Now that I am back home on the other side of Mount Mansfield I am earnestly trying to decompress and allow all of the details to settle into my brain. I think this calls for a cup of Rooibos and a Top Ten List! But first do you want to hear about my session?
My Food Photography Session
My session was about Elements of Food Styling and Post Processing in Food Photography. Sounds pretty official right? To start, I demonstrated how I actually take a photograph of food.
I did this because I wanted to show everyone how I create a set before I actually start cooking, and then how I arrange the food to face the camera. I also talked a little about prop styling and harmonious color combinations.
Then I got into a bit about manual settings for your DSLR and aperture and shutter speed. I showed what ajusting them can do to your focus and depth of field. I also talked about side lighting, three quarter back-lighting and back lighting. Because there was so much to cover and I was only really able to demonstrate three-quarter backlighting, I promised everyone that I would share the link to this post about how to do backlighting for food photography too.
Next we talked about post processing. And I finished with a brief mention of visual voice.
There was so much to say!!! Afterwards fellow locavore food blogger Marisa and I were talking about needing a whole weekend to just talk about and work on photography. Hmmm.
Top Ten Things I learned at Blog Brûlée
- From Anne: There is an actual formula to figure out how much to charge for a sponsored post.
- From Siggi himself and echoed by Lindsay: It is okay to admit that you can’t do it all, and hire someone to help you with some of it.
- From California Almonds: People like to eat 2 to 3 snacks a day and I should be posting more healthy snack recipes!
- During and after the outdoor yoga session led by the lovely Alex I learned that my body would be much happier if I did yoga more often.
- From Deanna: You can override the automatic settings of aperture and shutter speed using the latest Camera plus on your iphone.
- Smuggs offers a 4-hour Summit Snow Shoe Dinner that I am definitely going to go do this winter with Jase.
- From Lisa D’Agrosa of EatingWell. I need to stop talking at about 200 words. Um, I’m already at 557, this will take some time.
- From Katie I need to use subheads for readability and google.
- From Kylie, if I love a brand I should check their Instagram profile to see if there is a specific hashtag they like people to use and if I tag that brand they will maybe re-share my pic.
- From Regan Miller Jones: It’s okay to set your pride aside and to ask dumb questions, and it is also okay to admit that others may know more than you and can teach you something that will make a difference in your success.
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Katie, it was so nice to finally meet you! Thank you SO much for your advice on what I should do in my new place and answering my random food photography questions. I loved your session — I’m always curious about how other food bloggers set up their shoots! Hope you had a safe trip back home. I need to visit Vermont again!
It was great to meet you too! I hope I helped a bit and answered your questions. Good luck with the new set-up in your new place.
I was SO inspired after your session. I just bought my DSLR camera a week before Blog Brulee, and yesterday I actually went out and bought a 50mm lens. Seeing the way you set up a shot and post processing made me SO excited to get home and start playing around with my new camera!! It was so nice to meet you! 🙂
That’s so exciting. I think you’ll be blown away with the change going to the dslr. Let me know if you have questions.
My to do list from this weekend is long and complex, but the reminder that our food photography is ART is what is resonating with me from your session. So lovely to have spent time with you, my fellow locavore – and looking forward to keeping in touch. And now I’m off to read all your other photography tips posts… 🙂
That is the best compliment that you took that tidbit away. I wasn’t sure if I was able to express the pert about making art clearly, so I am so glad to know you took that away. It was a highlight of the weekend to meet you Marisa. Good luck to you out in Berkeley.
you know i love this. .wish i could have been there! so amazing!
You would have fit right in Lindsay!
i have never been to blog brulee but i can tell it was one amazing, educational, and fun event. maybe next year.
You would love it Dixya. You should consider the application for next year. I learned so much and I met so many wonderful healthy bloggers.
So great to finally meet you Katie! Thanks for a great presentation. I will be pouring through your posts on photography so I can get inside of your very creative brain 🙂
It was so fun chatting with you in real life Anne. I loved hearing about your kettle bell workouts and chatting about glute strength.
Excellent Article. Thank you so much.
Marvelous blog. All recipies are useful . Thank you so much.
What a lovely post! I love your recap and what a great and powerful group of women to be a part of. Definitely taking notes on your top 10- I always say I’m going to get into yoga and still need to make it a routine! I always feel better to when I do!
Thanks for reminding me that I need to follow through on that one! Lol.
That is one sexy food photo! Love those rich brown and plum tones. Thanks for all the advice. I am so happy seasoned food bloggers are posting more ideas to help others learn. Sometimes it all feels so proprietary but everyone can add their own flavor–literally and figuratively–to food blogging.
Excellent post!!! very nice one. Thanks for your sharing.
That’s so exciting. I think you’ll be blown away with the change going to the dslr. Let me know if you have questions.
thank you for sharing with us this information