Loving Local Food – I launched this blog in February 2009 after Molly Hoyne suggested I start blogging about my passions. I started falling in love with food when I moved to Seattle six years ago and Loving Local Food was the outlet that finally helped me bring my culinary passion to the next level. I am able to share and connect with friends and family through food, regardless of whether or not we can all sit down at the table together.

Seattle Food Bloggers – I happened to mention Loving Local Food to a work acquaintance and within moments he was introducing me to Keren Brown via email. Keren (Frantic Foodie) organizes food blogger events throughout Seattle and is a master at networking within the food community. I have connected with numerous food bloggers, met professional food writers, and had the chance to take a class by well-known photographer, Lou Manna. The opportunities (or foodportunities as Keren would say) have been endless.

Food Writing Class – I signed up for Candace Dempsey’s food writing class this fall to learn a few professional tips and check an item off my life list. I was inspired to write an ode to my heritage with Minnesota Hotdish: A Farmwife Classic Your Family Will Love. I learned to craft pitch letters, read stories from professional food writers, and received invaluable feedback. The praise and constructive critique I acquired was reassurance I should continue to put words on paper.

West Seattle Winery LLC – This past summer, my husband and I converted our garage into a winery. It is fully licensed and bonded by the state and 2009 was our first commercial crush. We had long weekends and purple-stained fingers, but our wine babies are in barrels and demijohns and we are looking forward to their release in 2010. Next step? Creating a brand name for the winery. Any ideas?

A Greener Kitchen – After six months of researching vendors, building up inventory, and cursing at shopping carts we launched A Greener Kitchen. Officially released to the world on December 31, 2009, A Greener Kitchen was born out of my obsession with the kitchen and focuses entirely on eco-friendly kitchen tools, gadgets, and accessories.

Cheers to the progress made in 2009, and here’s to everything 2010 has waiting for us!

The cost included a three-course lunch prepared by the Chef in the Hat; how could I not go?

I was one of only a few people brave enough to show up with a point-and-shoot, but I was reassured it could create stunning photos with the right light and proper settings. Prior to instruction, these are the shots I got:

After adjusting my ISO (I had no idea what ISO stood for, still not sure, something about sensitivity), I was able to brighten up the photo a bit.

The above photo was taken with natural light and camera adjustments. In this next snapshot, you’ll see a glimmer of light in middle of the plate. With careful placement of mirrors off to the edge,  the natural light bounces back on the food adding dimension.

When we moved away from the natural light of the window, the orange/yellow light showed up in the photograph. These are the light conditions I usually face in my house. My food shots usually end up with this orange tint.

After shooting in the dining room, we had the honor of sneaking back to the kitchen where Chef Thierry and his team were preparing the first course of our lunch, a red and yellow heirloom tomato soup.

When the class portion of the day was over, we all headed to the dining room for lunch. Each course was paired with wine. The heirloom tomato soup with a Chateau St. Michelle Viognier, the duck with a Bordeaux blend, and dessert with Muscato di Asti.

I photographed the dessert plate from two different angles, one with the natural light in the background and one with it in the foreground. It’s interesting to see how each angle brings something different to the photo.

I am far from a professional food photographer, but I have picked up a few tips to help me share my foodie creations.