Food Photography, Presentation and Lemon Brownies

I have always loved to post recipes on my blog. I often felt the need to add a photo with any food post. Some of my first food photos were really bad. I didn't pay much attention to anything except snapping a photo either before it went in the oven or before somebody dished it up. Horrible backgrounds showed up in a few. Other photos reminded me I needed to clean off my stove. There were even some that showed dust around my house. Imagine!

Other bloggers inspired me to take better food photos. There is beauty in fresh vegetables on a plate, strawberries in a basket, warm bread on a cutting board. I paid attention to how these bloggers photographed their food while I was copying and pasting favorite recipes. I also began reading more about how to photograph food along the way.

I pay attention to presentation when I set a table, arrange flowers, and decorate a room. I didn't pay that much attention with food photos. I began to pay attention to the dishes I put food on, the angle of the food, and how the presentation was around the food. 

Any of my success came from good old fashioned practice. There is always food around in the garden, on the counter, or in the frig ready to be prepared. I have even had success with the produce department at my local store. Food is food. It is colorful, full of textures, and holds up well unless it is ice cream. In a future post I will share some of my favorite sources for food photography tips and advice.

I pinned this recipe yesterday on Pineterst and thought lemon would be a nice switch from chocolate for brownies. What a yummy Sunday evening treat. These would be delicious with fresh spring strawberries. I tracked the original source to the blog listed below. I only used half the glaze becasue I didn't want them too sweet. Give them a try!

Lemon Brownies

Source: Marilyn (DanaIN, Cooking Forum) adapted by http://theresalwaysthyme.blogspot.com 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour  1 1/2 cup sugar  1 teaspoon salt  1 cup (2 sticks) butter; room temperature  4 eggs  juice from 1/2 lemon  zest from 1 lemon  1 cup powdered sugar  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  additional lemon zest for garnish  Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom only of a 9X13X2-inch baking dish with Parchment paper and spray with Pam. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt; add butter. Stir together eggs, juice from 1/2 lemon and zest from 1 lemon; stir into batter and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. When brownies are cool prepare glaze by stirring together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoon lemon juice; drizzle over brownies and sprinkle with additional lemon zest.