Notes from the Test Kitchen: On location

Most of the recipes we shoot for the Food section are done in the studio adjacent to the test kitchen. But sometimes we have stories -- or entire issues -- that require we shoot the recipes outdoors and/or on location. Our current issue, with stories on outdoor entertaining and summer cocktails, featured recipes just begging for some outdoor exposure.

So last Thursday, our crew (Test Kitchen director Donna Deane, art director Jan Molen, photographer Kirk McKoy, intern Kristin Buchanan and I) packed everything up and went on location ... my backyard.  I thought I'd post some "behind the scenes" images from the shoot.

Left, Kirk sets up a shot featuring a slice of the mango upside-down cake. He's using natural light, diffusing the direct sunlight slightly with an overhead screen, and adding highlights to the whipped cream and part of the cake using mirrors.  The shot had to be done early in the day before it got too hot and the whipped cream melted.  Contrary to a lot of commercial food photography that might use stand-ins (like shaving cream in this case), every item we shoot is true to the recipe ... and edible.

Before the food is even brought out, the props are positioned, the lighting is established and camera angles are explored. Below, that's Kirk setting up the table for a close-up of all of the dishes for Regina Schrambling's story. And that's him again setting up the Brazilian black bean salad.

photo gallery.

Below, the same set-ups from Kirk's point of view (all of the dishes, the black bean salad -- plus the sausages).  For more images, check out the Food section

-- Noelle Carter

Photos by Noelle Carter and Kirk McKoy

Comments

[Patricia Edie]

I prepared the Brazilian Black Bean salad for a family BBQ on Sunday and it was the "hit" of the menu!!