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contest July?

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Our challenges aren't that much different from a photography contest to begin with...

I AM DOWN FOR THIS. Do you think the photography will be our only criteria other than a hot pepper element? Trying to get my brainstorm on...

Do it up Marcie.

I think the usual teaser pic with PoL, and the many "process" shots (if you wish to include them) are still essential to this TD. But if this is going to be a food photography contest, maybe we should consider limiting the final post to only one picture this time. The best of what you got. It could even be a great shot of part of the process and not necessarily the final plating. That's how I'm interpreting it right now.

Boss? You dig the one final photo idea?

Or... just spitballin' here... what if we format the TD like a "normal" TD... Teaser(s), process, titled write-up of ingredients with plating pictures like we usually do. Then submit one photo out of that whole meal you just slaved over to represent your meal in a seperate post. And THAT'S what the TD poll link goes to. That one picture is what we vote on. ???
 
I'm still ok with the photo idea. Fact is I'm not going to go out and buy another camera, as I have other priorities right now. BUT that doesn't mean I won't be in the game. I mean, think about it: we are all pretty competitive (I know I certainly am.... ;) ), or we wouldn't do the TD's. So we all have a certain this-is-a-serious-comp side of us. But then, we have to have a sense of humor about it, too - we know no one gets to taste our entries, and other than a couple wizards and brand-newbies, who hasn't had the opportunity to laugh at their own entry? (I know I certainly have!) So yeah, if this is a food photo TD, I'll get as serious as I can about capturing the best possible pic. But I also have no problems posting a pic that makes me laugh and roll my eyes at myself. GET YER GAME ON, FOLKS. THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD! :party:
 
"Look at the Birdie"................"Say Cheese"..............................Chicken Parmigiana......anyone?

yep, and I made it all for less than 5 bucks....... [sub]won a crown [/sub].....


but that dish is so awesome I'd do it again for a photo shoot. Pic1 you'd better dibs that idea cuz if you don't I 'm gonna dibs it. YUM!
 
yep, and I made it all for less than 5 bucks....... [sub]won a crown [/sub].....


but that dish is so awesome I'd do it again for a photo shoot. Pic1 you'd better dibs that idea cuz if you don't I 'm gonna dibs it. YUM!

No contest...........your dish, Now if we're talking Italian ......my dish will be coming from the sea......you see
 
frutti de mare! WOOT! su-WEET!



naw, I was talking about chicken parmesiano(sic), love that dish and it looks sooooooo~~~~~~~OOOOO good with some green veggies, red sauce, white cheeses.....([sub]edti-go to TD re-direct mode...)[/sub]...and that nasty looking steamed veggies and overcooked pasta with wilted greens and the grease laden pre-processed semi-frozen chicken patty......










OK, yea, that's my story... ;)....
 
Has there yet been a stew? I realize it's better for winter but I bet y'all can throw down in the crock pot, or regular pot if you're old school.

Another good idea might be "pick a dish of a country not renown for it's culinary prowess" throwdown. I'm talking Switzerland or Holland or somewhere you hear the term "[county] food" and think "blah...how bland" - but even in those places there are some great recipes once you get past all the pickled herring.
 
Have we tightened this food photo contest up to "foods that are being cooked at the moment" and/or "foods that have been cooked and plated"? Or is it "anything within the process of cooking food"? [Hot pepper or hot pepper product included within the photo mandatory.]

I only ask this because there are many aspects of photography [Edit: and cooking]. Is it "product photography" where we try to sell our idea? Or is it "artistic photography" where we shoot something that someone would want to hang on their wall? There is no right answer [Edit:It could be both], but it could drastically shift some entries way beyond what you might have been expecting, El Jefe.

I'm assuming you had product photography in mind. Either way, if this is a true photography contest, maybe we should re-write the rules for this TD just this once. My idea is to let the photo do the talking. Title it, one photo... that's it. No write-up of ingredients. Nothing more than a descriptive title and a photograph. Of course we'll need a teaser shot with PoL somehow that includes the ingredients prior to the final post.
 
I like the idea of the 1 photo, 1 caption.

Interesting point about the style...seems like to create a level playing field there would have to be a theme. Whether it's "anything on a plate" or "anything in the kitchen" or "anything food" - too hard to judge apples to oranges.

As evidenced by my two TD entries, I'm not a great photog or even close. But I love good photography and will really enjoy seeing this TD (if that's what it be for July).
 
...But then, we have to have a sense of humor about it, too - we know no one gets to taste our entries, and other than a couple wizards and brand-newbies, who hasn't had the opportunity to laugh at their own entry? (I know I certainly have!)...

I certainly have one entry that I made that I go back to often just for a laugh.

http://thehotpepper.com/topic/20889-begin-hometown-hot-dogs-throwdown/page__st__180#entry437816

Life happened that day and time constraints only gave me a window of 15 minutes to get this done.
 
:D now I gotcha thp... The other members cleared that up for me... I wouldn't want to limit anyone to the razor camera; I used to have one and might as well draw whatever picture you're trying to capture :P

If it's an artsy food photo contest to capture the essence of food and cooking, I'm totally game!

Sum I would have voted for that just because of how funny it is... Think I just found a new home page to make me smile every day.
 
Where are we at with this? I think as far as photography for a TD goes, Sum has this dialed in.
The one picture and a title idea is awesome. We would definitely need "prep" pics,
because of the PoL. If we get into close up stuff it would be of the PoL only. :)

This is sounding pretty awesome!

Boss?
 
El Jefe might be taking a reprieve on purpose to let us work this all out for ourselves. If this TD is about food photography... then we have a general direction. I've got a syllabus coming together in my head, but it requires temporarily suspending most of the general TD rules... and possibly the general concept of what the TD's are about (a final plated dish).

I say we open this wide up. Let our inner artist loose. "Photograph something edible" [hot pepper or hot pepper product mandatory in photo]. <---- Let the artist in you interpret that. It can be a final plating, a picture of it cooking, even a prep picture... yeah, raw ingredients. (Technically, this means you really don't have to "cook" anything.)

The PoL pic will have the ingredients/subject(s) of your final entry picture. Final entry will be limited to one picture with a descriptive title of the work of art underneath it. (A sentence, not a paragraph.) No process pic(s) this time... this is purely about the final picture ONLY. No write-up about ingredients or temps/times. Basically, two pics max. "Teaser" with PoL... and final entry post. That's it.

I'm imagining this as the first THP food TD art exhibition. Does this clear it all up... or muddy it all up?

Feedback, please.
 
I'm onto what THP posted earlier - could be a great shot of the process rather than the final plating. His example was a cool grill shot. You wouldn't necessarily have a hot pepper or pepper product in a shot like that. My thought is that as along as there's a hot pepper ingredient, it doesn't matter if it's literally spelled out in the final pic. PoL would be an ingredient shot with $, as is common for TD's. Final shot (or shots) would be pic(s) of your choice and list of ingredients, along with a description of what the final plate is if you only post prep pic(s). Maybe require a final plate pic, and specify which pic(s) are for the photo entry vs. which is only so we get to see the final plating so we know for sure how the dish turned out. Just some thoughts...
 
PoL obviously has $ in it. But I think we need to strip out all the "other stuff" that would/could influence a vote on a food picture. In this TD it might not matter at all if it "worked". Maybe I've been ruminating on this TD more than I should. Where is Dan?
 
I don&rsquo;t mind the photo idea, but I do have one main concern, that it would be easy for someone to have a professional take the photos or use their studio and/or equipment to get an edge. I personally know two professional photographers that would be happy to take photos for beer and food, using their equipment, not saying I&rsquo;d do that, just saying it would be easy.

Voting on presentation is a little different then photographic skills just have a banana leave in the photo and it&rsquo;s an automatic win.
 
Bring it on! I see professional photographer as a somewhat loose term... Almost anyone can call themselves that if they have a camera and rely on the money from their pictures to support themselves. My sister had a professional photographer at her wedding and he bumbled all her photos... I think you'll find hobbyist photographers to be very creative and most have equipment that suits them and their shooting style

Plus, the cameras I'd be using for the photo shoot are my dad's and not mine, if I use mine it'll be like a week to develop and I'll miss the submission date. Sure his camera setup may cost more than some people's cars but i know how to use it better than he does. I don't think it's unfair for somebody to borrow, just as long as they take the pictures themselves. A good photograph isn't solely determined by the camera.

Banana leaf is only an automatic win if it's on a naked lady ;)
 
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