More fake ice cream.........for your eyes only

Last tuesday I did a job for DIGI through Untold Images, they wanted me to do a 5'tiers mock ice cream on a cone for their ads. It was great........ meeting all the creative peoples in the field. I havent got a chance to really snap the picture properly. I did takes some shot but it not the quality I expect, since I did it in hurry without proper set-up. However here are some shot that I want to share with you. This guy is only a side kick not the main hero.

I did not manage to snap the final product with all the topping and dressing, so I let it to your imagination.

EXPERIMENTING WITH THE LIGHT BOX.........

Hera are some pics that I took using the light box......................

How to Make an Inexpensive Light Tent box– DIY

This is another DIY project to make a light tent box, simple, inexpensive and practical. As mentioned in my last posting, you can easily buy it from any photography accessories shop, however the price sometime look ridiculously expensive for something that look simple. So, let do it ourself. So, what you need for this project? Below is list of thing you might need to made a light tent box:

1. 6 pcs of white colored peforated board size: 2' x 2' - you can get this in almost stationary store, they come in various color - cost around RM6.50 - 7.00.

2. 12 sets of Zipcro locking strap self adhesive - 3" each - you have to shop around, IKEA, Hardware, Stationary Store or in my case I got it from Cash Converter - cost me RM2.50 for a set of 4). Overall cost to do this project is around RM52.00. It really cheap compare if you have to pay RM250.00 at a Photography accessories shop.

That all what you need, the rest it, is your creativity. Why I used zipcro? Because it can easily dismantle for storing as well as carrying them around. Here are the DIY Light Tent Box.

The DIY Project

As promised here are the pictures of the DIY project for a light box.

The frame for the light box are made of aluminum, choose this because it is a durable material, in fact they does not look cheap. Where I get it? You need to shop around to find it or specifically go to IKEA look for the kitchen's cabinet drawer organizer that made of aluminum. You need two sets of them. Dimension? not very sure the accurate measurement, I guess it is around 16'' each, so you will get a light box of 16'' X 16'' dimension. You need to do some modification at the end of the aluminum plate so it can be assemble interlocked to resemble a square box. Please look at the end of the aluminum plate (picture above). it come together with the drawer organizer.

For the fluorescent bulb set get it from ACE Hardware at IKANO. It came complete with the bracket. Here is where your knowledge on electrical is needed. A simple one..............do a parallel connection. Before that, screw the bracket onto the aluminum frame to secure the bulb (refer to picture above).

For the cover 'fersfex' (picture below) get it from the hardware store or from any posters and signage company. If you are lucky you may get it for free..............

Here you are the DIY light box.....................it cost under RM180.00. Cheap, simple and practical.

*****AFTER TRYING A FEW TIMEs WITH THE LIGHT BOX, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A WEAKNESS. THE LIGHT FROM TUBE TYPE FLOURESCENT BULD THAT I USED WAS NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM I CHANGED TO THE 'RING' TYPE FLOURESCENT BULB, IT WORKS BETTER.

The DIY light box.............

Shopping around to look for a camera accessories and photography gadgets, make your eyes popped out. The prices are crazily expensive, a simple tent box cost RM300.00 at the Digi Mall and a price of light box...you just cant imagined. So, I decided to do my own and turn to the DIY................a light box and a tent box, cheap, simple and practical. Probably in my next posting I will show how I made this photography gadgets. As for now do enjoy some of the pictures that I shot using the light box I made it myself.

Food Styling Class - No. 2

The food styling class for this week is about presenting and styling a pan cake. It is a simple task, however it need some creativity. So, for this task the first thing that you need to do is to prepare or cook a pancake. A good, fluffy golden brown pancake that will make it more tempting in a picture. Some garnishing, fruit will be suitable such as strawberry, bluberry,pineapple and etc. What else should accompany a pancake in a plate? Yes, syrup, maple syrup - a thicken maple syrup and a touch of green - a sprig of mint leave. Oh not to forget the butter (portion butter), jam if you want and a snow powder (icing sugar).

Assembling a pancake: please make sure which angle of the pancake you want it to be seen in front a camera. Position the most 'sexiest' part of you pancake to the camera. Glaze your fruit, strawberry, bluberry and others so it does not look dull and dry in a picture (you may glaze them with a sugar syrup). The mint leaf too need to be spray with some clear thicken liquid to give a fresher look (mixture of clear corn syrup with water) . Maple syrup you need to thicken them, so it does not look flat on the pancake. pancake will easily absord thin syrup and this will make them look soggy easily. For that matter use honey with some brown coloring to give a darker effect - honey has thicker texture. It will stick and give body when pour onto pancake, it does not easily run flat.

You can add hight or body to the pancake by using aluminum foil. It is also used to give the pancake a even surface, so once the sauce is pour onto it, it will not be easily drip off.

Carefully place the best piece of pancake on the top, position it nicely for the camera.

Glaze the fruit using a soft brush to give a shiny and fresh effect.

Before pouring the syrup, do a dry run to get a good composition. Once you satisfy with the styling and composition, then only you pour the syrup for the final and real shot.

........to give a warm effect, heat up a pallet knife and slip it under the butter.

Here are dessert for you to enjoy.........

Photograph of desserts from a food styling class "Plating technique for cold desserts and tarlets."

Food Styling Class - No. 1

The first Food Styling class for this semester commenced on the 13th January. Students are shown the techniques on how to present food infront a camera. Including the three (3) angles of shooting: eyes-level, 45 degree and 90 degree. First lesson begin with introduction of how to present Mixed Salad in a glass bowl? Things that you need for this task are: mixed salad (a good combination of green and colored lettuce, clear salad bowl, aluminum foil, corn syrup and a moisturiser spray bottle. The principle of salad making is applied: Base, Body, Garnish and Dressing. Before presenting the salad, remember these principles. A good salad should has a good body, depend in which angle you want to present it. Remember the 2 dimensional rule.

Aluminum foil, clear salad bowl, moisturizer spray bottle, cornsyrup and a jar of water.

A crumble aluminum foil in put into the bowl to give a body to the salad, you can place it on the side or bottom, depend on how you want to present it: either eyes-level, 45 degree or 90 degree. Apart from aluminum foil, you may use a small bowl and put it inside the bowl to make your salad stand up.

For an eyes-level presentation place the aluminum foil by the size, this will let the salad to stand up and hold to that position - this presentation suitable for an eyes-level shot.

A bowl of salad that has been presented from an eyes-level view. To give fresh look to the vegetable, spray a corn syrup with water and use moisturizer spray bottle to give a fresh misty effect. Corn syrup will make the mist stick longer onto the vegetables compared to water. This will give longer fresher look to the vegetables during photography.

Tips: Avoid cutting the lettuce with knife, it will oxidise faster, soak lettuce in icy cold water for a while and tossed it to a fresher look.

Fake / Artificial / Mock / Imitation Ice Cream

You may call them fake, artificial, mock or imitation ice cream. It is used in food styling to replace real ice cream, because real ice cream melt faster.

The Creation....................

The semester as started............

Welcome to all students who are taking the Food Styling HTC640 course this semester. Welcome too, to students taking Food Retailing Management and Technology - HTC610. Hope this semester will be a fruitful and happy learning session for all of you. I am looking forward to meet all of you especially those who already with me in HTC610. I have prepared a scheme of work for both HTC610 and HTC640. What I waited most is the Food Styling classes, because during the holiday I have prepared some gadget (DIY) for the food styling class - A Light Box and a Tent Box. I am thinking to make this DIY project as your class project.

DIY that sound wonderful, for those who like it. I just found out that with a limited budget you can produce wonder if you want to. It all resulted when I tried to find some stuffs for the Food Styling course. So, I did some window shopping during the holiday - to Digital Mall in PJ as well as Law Yatt in KL. Off course camera shops were the main destination ........phew, know what I discovered? Most of this photography and camera gadgets are very expensive stuff. EXPENSIVE!!!! So,that what triggered me to do it myself. I then surfed the net to find out how some of these gadgets were made, especially the DIY types. And that where I found out how to make the Light Box and Tent Box. For the matter of fact, I would like to urge you students to do the same.........................so what do you think?