‘Fruit Art’ by Lannice Snyman and Malcom Dare – Food Porn – and how to take a decent photograph.

Gooseberries.

Food has risen from its functional position in our lives to a point now where it’s all about lifestyle.

We’ve got celebrity chefs, cookbooks galore, TV shows, food fairs and exhibitions and designer kitchens that bear no resemblance to the rooms our grandparents cooked in.

We have gadgets that are made from space age materials, technology that a scientist 30 years ago would gape at, and processed food that required scientists to invent.

And we’ve got food porn.

Nowadays if you are photographing food you’ve got to give it so much appetite appeal that you’ll want to jump into

Rasberry.

the page and devour what you see.

A day in a food shoot studio involves armies of stylists, assistants, cooks and special effects people.

Boil me an egg please!

Lannice Snyman, a much loved and sorely missed presence on the food scene, collaborated with Malcom Dare to produce one of her last works before she passed away earlier this year.

Pomegranate.

In “Fruit Art”, Snyman presents a selection of recipes which cover everything from soup and salads to chicken, beef and lamb dishes.

Needless to say her writing and recipes are straightforward and easy to follow.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Lannice, but I believe this was pretty much the character she was.

Malcom Dare, a talented South African photographer, has produced a range of sensual and evocative images which are good to look at, and leave the reader wondering if it’s about food, or photography, or art.

All three I suppose, is the answer, because that’s the way food has gone these days.

Given that we live in a world where everyone has an opinion and has the means to express it to any audience who’ll listen, via blogs and the internet, I asked Malcom to

Watermelon Ham.

give me his top tips to aspiring food bloggers out there who intend taking their own food photographs.

He recommended the following;

1. Keep it simple.

2. Use natural light wherever possible.

3. Have the light come from one direction.

4. Show as much texture, shape and appetite appeal as possible.

5. Fill in darker areas using reflected light off a white polystyrene board.

6. Find inspiration in food magazines and recipe books. See how the food stylist has put the elements of the image together.

7.Use real ingredients where possible, good food photography does not need fake food.

6. Take your time.

Fruit Art

Lannice Snyman and Malcom Dare.

R275

Lannice Snyman Publishing.