DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 
Challenge Entries

 
You are viewing 1st place.
2nd
Portfolio Images
This image is not part of a public portfolio.
Mediterranean food anyone ?
1st PlaceMediterranean food anyone ?
Tom_Robbrecht


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Recipe (Food) II (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED
Location: Dilbeek, my improvised studio attic
Date: Jan 7, 2006
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/40
Galleries: Still Life, Food and Drink
Date Uploaded: Jan 7, 2006

I never had as much fun preparing a shot for a challenge than I had with this one. I had this image in mind the moment I saw the challenge description.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this image will be received by voters. Admitted, I'm a sucker for clichés.
Never did any food shots before though.

Ingredients for the picture :
---------------------------
-One large north facing skylight window.
-One overcast day.
-One large piece of foamcore.
-Fresh produce, spices and kitchen utensils.

How to make :
-----------
-Place foamcore under skylight.
-Arrange produce, spices and utensils on foamcore.
-Position camera above foamcore and compose the picture, taking care to keep the lens axis perpendicular to foamcore plane.
-Set desired aperture and spot meter a midtone.
-Set shutter speed.
-Shoot a proof image and adjust shutter speed using histogram reading.
-Shoot final image.
-Load image into Photoshop, crop, adjust curves slightly, adjust hue & sat, apply usm, resize, add border and save for web @ 150k max.
-Upload to dpchallenge, enter details and wait for voting to start.

Ingredients for meal :
--------------------
2 sweet paprika's (the long variety), 1 yellow paprika, 4 mushrooms, 2 carrots, 3 unions, 2 garlic cloves, 3 tomatoes, fresh basil, bay leaves, thyme, pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, spirelli tricolore.

How to make :
-----------
-Dice the unions and garlic and cook slowly in olive oil over low heat in deep pan until soft and golden.
-Dice the other veggies and add them to the pan.
-Add spices to taste, be sure to add enough cayenne pepper, it's a spicy dish. You could also use jalaneño peppers but I have trouble finding those in Belgium.
-Cover and let simmer over low heat for at least 45mins.
-Boil the spirelli 'al dente' and drain.
-Serve sprirelli with sauce and top with grated parmesan or grana padano cheese.

Oooooh how I love this kinda food. Very low on cholesterol and rich in fibers and vitamins !
Yummy !

Finally, my wine recommendations :
-----------------------------
-Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Reserva 1998 (ES)
-Monteregio Riserva - Castellani 1997 (IT)
-Jacobs Creek Merlot 2003 (AU)
-Ironstone Merlot 1998 (USA - Ca)

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 110
Avg (all users): 7.2659
Avg (commenters): 8.2222
Avg (participants): 6.8361
Avg (non-participants): 7.3630
Views since voting: 11248
Views during voting: 671
Votes: 331
Comments: 85
Favorites: 22 (view)


Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
07/21/2006 08:04:38 AM
brilliant shot tom and masterful composition.

i'd give you a 10 just for mentioning jacob's creek ... a very, very nice drop! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/21/2006 10:40:10 PM
This would be a great poster. I would hang it in my kitchen anyday. Well done! Congrats!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/21/2006 11:07:06 AM
what an incredible detail for relatively small picture...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/20/2006 02:24:31 PM
This is an excellent shot. I love the white background. Very clean! Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/19/2006 03:44:24 AM
Jacobs Creek Merlot is a fine drop!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/19/2006 01:40:28 AM
Could be a cook book cover! Congratulations! Sent it to Martha Stewart!

Message edited by author 2006-01-19 01:41:07.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 07:13:41 PM
Fabulous photo, and so well laid out. The color and lighting are fantastic.

Congrats on your ribbon !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 11:19:10 AM
Amazing description! Reads like a good story! Excellent work photographing food.....not everyone can get an image this good without a lot of learning and mistakes.

Congratulations on your blue ribbon...it is all truly wonderful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 11:18:07 AM
So great to see this here - Big Congrats on your ribbon!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 10:44:56 AM
Congratulations on your ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 10:14:25 AM
Its really amazing how such a great picture has 1 vote a 2. hmm,
Great Job,
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 10:10:12 AM
well deseved win and congrats on being #1 in the ribbon chase so far in 2006. Keep up the great work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 10:01:27 AM
Looks so fresh and wonderful, congratulations, a favorite during voting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 09:23:52 AM
Nice shot, well laid out. Should offer it as a print.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 08:51:58 AM
This really does look like one of those posters you'd buy to hang in the kitchen. Well done!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 08:22:51 AM
Great win. loved this shot. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 06:49:49 AM
Are you going to offer it as a print?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 05:14:11 AM
Couldn't find fault. Well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 02:38:30 AM
very beautiful
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 12:41:15 AM
Congratulations on the Blue - I thought that it would end up somewhere there.

My thought - and others' too, from skimming the comments - was that this is reminescent of those postcards. You can find the kind I'm talking about on www.nouvellesimages.com if you dig around enough. They usually have a Frnech/English title.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 12:37:29 AM
Well-deserved. Congrats.

Message edited by author 2006-01-18 00:39:23.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 12:34:08 AM
Congratulations on the well deserved ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 12:33:59 AM
Congratulations on the well deserved ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/18/2006 12:22:24 AM
What a set up. It is more a work of art. Congratulations on your BLUE!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/17/2006 11:21:20 PM
oh - I like this one - and hope it does well - it's not like the others and has it's own originality - good idea laying everything out like this - the composition is very nice, great lighting, overall great quality - and I can see it as a print in a nice restaurant - good job :)
01/17/2006 08:38:47 PM
I really like this interpretation of this challenge. (And the image is nice, too. ;-)
01/17/2006 04:03:28 PM
looks like a poster....incredibly well laid out and lit perfectly...nice work...10
01/16/2006 10:22:39 PM
Nice photo. You laid out the ingredients very nicely to create a nice photo. The lighting is perfect and the backrouung and border really are a nice job.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/16/2006 06:09:46 PM
Very nice composition. Some folks will probably knock you for it not being a "recipe" but this is one exceptionally fine image. Technical quality is great and the white background with the colorful arrangement works very, very well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/16/2006 04:17:17 PM
Beautiful layout, a very unique representation in this challenge full of delicious looking prepared dishes, 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/16/2006 04:06:40 PM
Love this different arrangement on the challenge topic.
01/16/2006 02:48:12 PM
hey nice pic! nice idea! 10 good work!
01/16/2006 08:12:44 AM
Frame it and put it on your kitchen wall! Also, how was this lit? I just hope voters don't penalize you for not having an actual dish in the picture. Excellent photograph even if it doesn't exactly meet the challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/15/2006 09:45:18 PM
This is wonderful. You should make it into a poster print for your kitchen!
01/15/2006 07:42:24 PM
So far, this image has the best detail and light that I have seen. Your textures show up very well, and the color is very good. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/15/2006 06:32:12 PM
Interesting Idea. Nice lighting and positing
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/15/2006 04:17:30 PM
Beautiful setup! I love this one
01/15/2006 04:02:41 PM
Those are really big peppers!!!!! Great color, focus, clarity, spacing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/15/2006 03:41:12 PM
Very nice photo and lighting, though the arrangement looks super-static. I think this will do very well. Good Luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/15/2006 11:45:01 AM
Clever idea. I like how neat and balanced this looks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/15/2006 10:40:54 AM
Really love the arrangement, well thought out. I like how you included the seasoning and tools too. Great focus and very colorful. I don't usually like borders but it works well with this picture. Good luck
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/15/2006 02:48:44 AM
Spectacular treatmetn of the ingredients. Composition and light is great as is the control of the flare off the board
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/14/2006 10:43:50 PM
Very well photographed and also very well presented, and will be so hard to beat.....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/14/2006 01:49:49 PM
Very nicely done. Very pleasing composition and coloring. 9
01/14/2006 11:03:29 AM
At least different from all the others...
01/14/2006 08:41:58 AM
Attractive display, well shot
01/14/2006 01:59:57 AM
good idea
01/13/2006 10:23:57 PM
this reminds me of the covers of the chic cookbooks. Very nicely done.
01/13/2006 08:18:36 PM
a little busy but an awesome photo. I'll bet the larger copy is spectacular. nice white on white.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/13/2006 04:04:36 PM
Great shot!
01/13/2006 03:59:25 PM
Really supurb image in my opinion. Great lighting, nicely composed and great design. Good luck with this one, its the best image in this challenge for me!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/13/2006 09:24:01 AM
Very cool.
01/12/2006 08:25:36 PM
very original. what did u use as a surface?
01/12/2006 06:21:41 PM
Beautiful. This would make a lovely kitchen poster. 8
01/12/2006 01:34:22 PM
Nice one, one of my favs in this competitition.
Very neat and well lit up !
A sure contender CONGRATS
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2006 01:29:25 PM
I really like this shot, at work I showed it to a collegue who said ïts like a calander shot"... I think that is a cool way of looking at it. It is crisp and clean and works.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2006 01:01:20 PM
This remind me of one of those posters with a hundred different kinds of chili peppers on them. I like it very much, although I'm not sure I like the way the utensils fit in. I think I would have preferred more food!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2006 12:54:23 PM
cool poster shot.
01/12/2006 11:31:02 AM
i love this, it stands out so much from the crowd and is really well taken (I can really appreciate you lighting, since i find it so hard!). Excellent job, I expect it to score highly
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2006 02:00:17 AM
WOW...superbly arragenged. Good composition too. Regards,
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/12/2006 12:44:13 AM
This is one of the few images in these two challenges that I think a stroke/border works for. Nice image. The colors seem to be weighted to the right side. Switch the spatula with the yellow pepper & tomatoes. My eye keeps going to the yellow...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 07:14:09 PM
Excellent layout, this would make a great poster for the kitchen.
01/11/2006 05:39:51 PM
Good setup!
01/11/2006 04:36:58 PM
Reminds me of the poster in my kitchen :)
01/11/2006 03:29:06 PM
This is my favorite so far!
01/11/2006 03:18:05 PM
Very professional - reminiscent of many postcards and posters I have seen along similar lines. (I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I don't think everything under the sun has to be a unique new idea in order to be appealing). I think you've made a great job - lighting works, clean background works and layout works very well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 02:00:23 PM
Nice idea, sharpness, and colors. Less rectilinear arrangement would probably be better.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 01:53:56 PM
Great shot; no shadows, perfect alignment of the subjects, a presentation of things that look as though they actually lead to a real recipe. It looks like it belongs in a commercial or something.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 01:19:30 PM
very nice, but almost too organized
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 01:04:43 PM
Fantastic, this is just the sort of thing I like. I wish I had a whole cookbook like this!
01/11/2006 11:19:40 AM
So simple and so beautiful !! Love it. Voted 9
01/11/2006 08:26:29 AM
One has to wonder how much time was spent picking "pretty veggies" in the produce section for this shot! Good job, nice compositional set up. Bumping.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 08:11:07 AM
Very nicely done. Good, clean layout makes for a simple but striking photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 08:06:45 AM
oooh, I use a lot of these ingredients. I will be looking forward to finding out your recipe. OH...and photo looks fabulous too! I love how evenly spaced out they are and the colors just make it pop. Good job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 05:52:07 AM
excellent, congratz on your ribbon :-)
01/11/2006 03:37:40 AM
Really good one
01/11/2006 03:37:13 AM
common! some meat for me! anyway, very good manner to present the new cusine style
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 02:06:25 AM
Very cool! Looks like a poster! Nice take on the challenge!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 01:53:41 AM
This is an awesome image, great details and lighting, very professional, 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 01:42:48 AM
Lighting? Everytime I do this i get orange glow. I never get the white white you're getting. Set up?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 01:06:27 AM
yes! i love mediterranean food. : ) i like this shot.
01/11/2006 12:50:06 AM
My early pic for front page. I cant believe no one else had this idea. I know I sure didn't. Love the layout and good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 12:36:48 AM
excellent a winner and maybe a ribbon!
01/11/2006 12:19:19 AM
I like the layout of this one...keeps your eyes busy!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/11/2006 12:15:30 AM
Beautifully composed and lit! Great colours, so sharp.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/29/2024 01:24:48 AM EDT.