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Two Recipes for a Smash Cake

Have you heard of the tradition of smashing a cake for the first birthday of a baby?  It is called “cake smash” and the tradition was established in the United States. Now it has become popular in Germany as well. I have to say, I am quite a bit jealous. Even as an adult I wouldn’t mind smashing a cake, you know. So being allowed as a baby to do that and being photographed, well, what is not to like? Today I am going to give you two recipes for a smash cake. Since babies are smaller, I would recommend going for a 15-18cm/6 inch cake instead of a 26cm/9inch one. One of the most crucial aspects of a smash cake is the frosting. You want to be sure it holds up nicely and it is something pleasant for the baby. The recipe below is for a vanilla cake with strawberry filling. You will also see a chocolate cake pictured, which contains a lot of zucchini to make it somewhat “healthier”. I included both recipes for your convenience. Below you will also find some tips on what is relevant for a proper cake prepared for a smash.

Rezept für einen Smash CakeFeatured photo and this one from baby photographer Chen Reissl Continue Reading…

How to Make Affordable Photo Backdrops

Wie man günstig tolle Fotohintergründe herstellt

Are you looking for affordable backdrops for your food photography? Then look no further, I will give you tips below how you can make them yourself and this is me talking, a very clumsy person who has problems assembling IKEA furniture. You don’t have to spend much to make beautiful backdrops, believe me, you can make each backdrop easily to your liking and with your preferred color set. Let’s get started!

Wie man günstig tolle Fotohintergründe herstellt#1 What do you need?

  • Get a chipboard, scrap board, or wooden board at least the size of 60cmx80cm. I like to checkout our local wood market, they often have leftovers they give away for free or very little money
  • You will either need a brush or a small paint roller
  • Lacquer or wood color (try to go with neutral colors, such as black, white, grey, brown, etc. However, I also wanted to make a point here by using a bright blue because in my opinion it gives a very fresh look to food as well. You should definitely go for at least two colors and one of them being neutral)
  • Sanding paper  with different strength, I used 60, 320, and 800
  • Optional: an old sponge or white chalk

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10 Beginners’ Tips for Food Photography

I have been taking pictures for about a year now and my passion for food photography is just beginning. I am definitely not a professional, but I love my camera, which is a Sony Nex7, this is not a DSLR, but a mirrorless camera. Mirrorless cameras are cheaper, easier to handle and perfect for me. So far I have bought one more lens and a tripod, that’s about it. I have often been asked whether I have some tips for beginners of food photography. As stated, I am not an expert, but I would like to present to you some practical tips, which really helped me during my journey. These are my down-to-earth tips. Let’s see:

#1 Take pictures and then take some more

It is so easy to get lost in tutorials and Youtube videos. But if you want to improve your photography, you actually have to take lots and lots of pictures. Period. You will only get better over time and if you practice regularly. Try to set a realistic goal. I, for example, set the goal to take pictures of at least one recipe every Saturday. The idea is that I take pictures of which I can use five for my blog. Sometimes I feel that the pictures will turn out beautifully. This was the case with the blueberry hand pies you see below. It was so much fun taking them! On the other hand, taking pictures of the apple roses cake was a pain. I took four times more pictures than for the pie until I was finally satisfied. Sometimes you may lose your mojo. I most certainly do. But the trick is to stick with it and just continue. You will not be perfect, but praticing regularly is key. On average I take pictures for half an hour. I don’t know why, but usually I get tired after that. If I had set the goal to take pictures for two hours, I probably would have given up. Be realistic setting your goals and then take pictures regularly.

Blueberry Hand Piespeed shutter: 1/100, ISO: 400, aperture: f4.5

recipe: cute blueberry hand pies

Apple Roses Cakeshutter speed: 1/10, ISO: 400, aperture: f5.0

recipe: cake with apple roses

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