Thursday 26 June 2014

SURPRISE


Look at what I've have secretly been up to! I am so excited to announce that Pause is moving to a new site called simply pause ! Same writer/photographer, similar content, just a fresh new look, some fresh energy and a much simpler, more professional, beautiful site. 

Pop over! It'd be good to see you!

Sunday 22 June 2014

Basic Indulgence

Every photo tells a story. 

There was almost no post this week. But I'd secretly promised myself to post something every week. Hmmm. So. Well. Basically, I'd been reading my food photography book, and she keeps reminding me to find the story behind every image I create. "There's always a story", she says. When you know the story that lies behind your image, then choosing lighting and colour and props and angles and composition, becomes so much simpler.

So there I was, feeling sorry for myself when... I saw a story I had to tell.

Enjoy!




Friday 13 June 2014

Back to Basics - Tomato Love


 I had these tomatoes sitting in my windowsill and every time I wanted to use one, I found myself reaching for some other tomatoes from a different bowl. These just looked too beautiful! Subconsciously, I was saving them for a photo. So eventually, I gave in and stole a little time to photograph them. They were just too photogenic to ignore.

Tomatoes are a real basic in our home. They're always on our shopping list. Normally they go straight into a blue bowl in my kitchen windowsill, where they're meant to slowly ripen, deepening in colour and flavour - but they tend to get eaten first!


I use a variety of types and really believe the more the merrier - cherry, plum and of course tinned tomatoes! In salads, I'm the one who fishes out all the tomatoes and adds one or two salad leaves to my plate for decoration. And for the cherry on top of a fry up - the best thing is little helping of fried cherry tomatoes - cooked with balsamic vinegar until they pop.
Pasta? with cherry tomatoes roasted in the oven with olive oil, served with fresh basil and maybe some feta cheese or pesto? Perfect. What would boerewors* be without fried onion and tomato mush, served in a fresh white roll? And curry without tomatoes sambals?
And in winter, my friend makes the most divine Lamb stew, slowly cooked in tinned tomatoes. (Now I'm drooling!)

The more I think about it, tomatoes really are a basic necessity in our home! So this is a little ode to tomatoes, cooked, fried or a just a sweet, fresh little plum tomato popped into your mouth...

What's your basic? I have a friend who always has cream in her fridge and then some people cannot do without cheese... Love to hear from you, in the comments below!


(* boerewors is a South African beef sausage, made with a mix of spices, usually includes coriander)

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Back to Basics - improve your photography in 2 simple steps

Can you believe it's already June? We've had a lot of visitors recently and we've been busy busy busy. Time's flying and it's not always easy keeping up. When it gets like this, I find the best way to cope is to simplify everything. Find the essentials and just let go of the rest.

So I'm on this mission to go back to basics. 
(In my blog, back to basics has gone to some extremes, which I'll be sharing with you soon...)

In photography, the best back to basics tips that I can give are to:
1) simplify what's in your image 
2) simplify your light source

To simplify what's in your image, find an angle that cuts out the background. Go in really close or turn your subject around to include as little clutter as possible, in the background. A wonderful trick, if you're photographing children, is to go in slightly from below and use the blue sky as a backdrop. The opposite is to get them to lie on the ground, you stand on a chair and use the lawn as your background. In that way you simplify everything in your shots and the main subject really stands out.

The other way is to simplify your light source. If you're outside, that's quite simple - the sun or overcast sky is your single main light source. Inside can be a little trickier, so simplify.  Switch off your house lights and try using natural light. Choose one window as your single light source. Try taking your shots with the main light source to the side of your subject. That way your image will have a balance of light and shadow. 

Here's a quick and basic photo challenge:

Get your child to sit in chair that you've moved near the window or glass door. Now you squeeze up right up to the window, so that the light source is coming from the side, but you're seeing the slightly more of the lighter side of them. Switch off your flash. Get them to show you the latest Lego toy they built and tell you about it. They don't have to smile, just sit and chat to them and click away. 

Simplify and I can guarantee you'll get some good shots.

The Country Quiche 


I simplified here. I went back to basics. No props or background. One light source from the top left corner. And a simple, wholesome, country quiche.

I got good highlights on the pastry and the cheesy surface, but enough colour to make you drool.  The whole image is light and airy like the Quiche. Yum! The Recipe is in the post below...









Basic Country Quiche - The Recipe


I know you're going to ask so here it is. And yes, it does taste as good as it looks!
If you have the basics in the fridge, you can add almost anything to it to, and turn it into something awesome. Serve with a simple salad, or for you wintery lot - add some steamed veggies.

Basics:
One large sheet of shop-bought, pre-made pastry
6 eggs
2 large dollops of creme fraiche (No creme fraiche? try full cream Greek Yoghurt?)
300-400g grated cheese
bacon bits

Veggies of choice:
In the photo above, I used dollops of creamed spinach and grated carrot, another time there was broccoli in the fridge, but my favourite was chopped leek and mushroom.

Got the stuff, now what do I do?
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a shallow dish. (This one is about 30cm in diameter)
Place the dish on the pastry and cut the pastry a little larger to cover the base and go up the sides.
Line the dish with pastry.
Cut the remaining pastry into thin long strips. 

Place the bacon bits and a half the cheese on the pastry.
Lightly fry or steam your veggies of choice and add as the next layer, leaving gaps for the egg to fill later.
Beat the eggs and creme fraiche and pour over veggies.
Cover with the remaining cheese.
Place the strips of pastry over the top in a criss-cross manner and paint over them lightly with a little egg.

Bake for 30-40 minutes (depending on the ingredients and your oven)
You can prepare the salad and set the table in the meantime

Serves 4 

Enjoy!