Zesty Buys a New Camera Plus Updates

ZestyCook — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:00:26 +0000

The time is here! I have been wanting a new camera for a while now. After discussions with photographer friends and research online, I took the plunge and purchased a Canon Rebel XSi. I didn’t really have a lot of time to do my research as you will find out below.

Zesty on the Road

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a large pizza chain in Nova Scotia, Canada to do a photo shoot for their new website and menus. Of course I was excited but nervous at the same time. I have been shooting food for quite a while now but I would not consider myself a professional by any stretch of the imagination. So before the shoot, I decided to pick up the new camera, learn how to use it and borrow some pro lighting from a photography friend of mine.

The shoot went pretty well. There were a few wrinkles tossed in the mix with some lighting issues but I overcame them ( I think ). I am still in the middle of digitally editing the pictures to ensure the light and final product is perfect.

Here are some shots inside the test kitchen where the photo shoot was held.

Zesty in the Media

Just last week I was approached by a women’s based magazine in New Jersey, First for Women magazine in regards to featuring ZestyCook.com in an upcoming issue. The topic they were interested in was “How to organize your fridge“. I was more than happy to do the interview and answer any questions they had. After speaking with them, it seems that zestycook made the cut and will be appearing in the November issue.

I guess there is a first for everything! I have never been mentioned in a magazine before so I am looking forward to the issue. For some reason I feel like a kid inside a candy store.

Amazing Food Blogs

As mentioned earlier regarding photography, I get a lot of inspiration from reading professional blogs that take amazing food photography. A while back I wrote a post on how to take amazing food pictures and a lot of people have used those tips to enhance their work. But if you want to see some amazing shots up close and personal – you need to check out these sites below. If you know of other sites that take amazing pictures, please add them in the comments..

Happy Tuesday to you! I hope you have a great day today. I will have a house update soon as well as a couple of homemade baked good recipes to share.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply Zesty

Zesty Buys a New Camera Plus Updates

Fundamentals of Photography Book Review and GIVEAWAY!!

ZestyCook — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:00:57 +0000

It’s Giveaway Time! This month I have the pleasure of giving away 2 free books. I am giving away a beautiful and wholly comprehensive how-to book for today’s photographers, FUNDAMENTALS OF PHOTOGRAPHY by renowned author, Tom Ang.

Novice or Advanced, Film or Digital, this book is your guide to everything photography related today.

Fundamentals of Photography – Book Review

When I received this book in the mail – I was really excited. I love free stuff not too mention I am really interested photography and learning how to improve my picture taking skills. If this sounds like you – than this book will be perfect!

About the Book

Fundamentals of Photography, the Essential Handbook for Both Digital and Film Cameras, by Tom Ang is 352 pages long with a soft cover. The book contains 11 chapters filled with information and sample photos to demonstrate the topics covered. The chapters include a General Introduction, Fundamentals of Light, The Camera, Capturing Light, Using the Lens, Manipulating Light, Working with Color, Processing the Image, Digitizing the Image, Outputting the Image, and References.

Each chapter is broken up into small sections covering a very specific topic (as the sample above shows). Most of the sections span two pages (across the fold), so the topic can be studied without flipping through page after page — it’s at your fingertips. Certain sections are also marked as “advanced topics” aimed at the photographers with a previous background. And finally, there are “Analysis” sections in some of the chapters that present a full image across the two pages. This analysis includes many notes pointing out tips that were discussed in previous sections of the chapter — like a “tutorial” lesson.

The really cool thing about this book is the fact that it presents material for both digital and film photography.

About the Author

Tom Ang is an award-winning photographer and a leading authority on digital photography. His books include Dictionary of Photography and Digital Imaging, Digital Photographer’s Handbook, Photoshop CS for Photography, and How to Photograph Absolutely Everything. His work has been exhibited internationally, and for twelve years he was Senior Lecturer in Photographic Practice at the University of Westminster, London. He was the presenter for two six-part BBC programs on digital photography.

He has contributed regularly to magazines such as What Digital Camera? and The British Journal of Photography, and now writes for MacUser magazine. Tom won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for his photographic coverage of the Marco Polo Expedition, which pioneered the modern land crossing from Europe to China via Central Asia.

You can find Tom on the web at his main website. This man has a wealth of knowledge, and I’d suggest you check out his website and any of his books.

Zesty’s Final Thoughts

I like it! I definitely like it. My main reason for liking the book is because of its concise layout. It gets to the point and doesn’t fool around. The book covers topics for all photography lovers as it is easy enough for a beginner, but interesting and useful enough for advanced photographers. I would definitely recommend this book as a great read and a great reference.

Contest and Giveaway

How To Enter:

New and existing email subscribers will automatically get an entry on draw date. Note that only verified subscribers count. (+1 entry)
Leave a comment telling me what kind of Camera you use. (+1 entry)
Earn an extra chance to win by linking back to this post on your own blog (if you have one). (+1 entry) (please email me if you link back)

The Rules:

Please only 1 comment entry / person (please enter a valid email address). Your email will be kept private and never given/sold to third parties.
Two winners will win a copy of “Fundamentals of Photography” book.

So let me know your camera name in the comments below! A random generator will be used to pick the winner. Contest will end at 5pm EST January 23, 2009.

I look forward to all your responses. Have a great Wednesday!