Monday, March 18, 2013

the weekend we ate chocolate cake (and took a million pictures)

{Beatty's chocolate cake: my favourite shot}
This Saturday Violet and I had two items on our agenda: bake a chocolate cake and take pictures of it. The cake served two purposes. We were planning on going to our friends house that evening and we had offered to make dessert. I had also proposed to my photography teacher that I would take photographs of food for my final project. This will be so perfect I thought. We'll bake a cake -- what could be yummier? I'll take pictures of it -- what could be prettier?

Well, as it turns out having a four year old as a sous-chef and photography assistant is about as fun as it sounds.  (Not fun.) The baking went relatively smoothly (for once), it was the photography that completely bored Violet and completely frustrated me. Violet likes being a sous-chef (there are bowls and spatuals to be licked), but she was not digging holding up reflectors. I can't imagine why not.

I'm pleased with a few of the shots I got. I totally have to stop myself from thinking I would be better if I just had a better camera and more equipment! I'm sure those things would help, but unfortunately the person behind the camera makes a difference too! I feel better about these pictures than I have of my previous assignments, so that is progress right?

Now, if only I had a large marble slab and a soft box I could really make this cake pop...

Here are my unedited photos, the best of about 200. For real. Violet hated me by the end.

xo

Em

ps -- You can find Ina's recipe here. It really is the best chocolate cake ever. You'll think you've ruined the batter when you add the cup of coffee, but you haven't.

pps -- I am on a first name basis with the Contessa.



{mis-en-place}
{sous chef}

{layer one}

{chocolate patterns}

{voila, the cake}

{up close}

{there are a lot of angles from which one can take a photo}

{white}
{these shots are so much better in theory}

{not staged}

{this is how we snack on Newton Ave...}




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