That Time I Got to Photograph Beef Dishes

Have you ever had the pleasure to watch a handful of top-notch chefs create delicious meals out of beef? During the summer of last year, I had the opportunity to not only watch, but to photograph the symphony of five incredibly talented chefs in the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Culinary Center for work. I still find myself staring at the gorgeous dishes of beef creations and having to keep the drool from sliding down my face.

Watching these professional chefs cook and prep their meals was absolutely mesmerizing

I had never had the chance to photograph plates of delicious food before- unless you count hours of binge-watching Food Network and watching as they capture videos that make your taste buds dream of what those beautiful plates might taste like- so I was a bit nervous to do these dishes justice.

Not only was the photography session a lesson in how to tantalize the imagination of those who might view these dishes only through a photograph, but it was a chance for me to ask one-on-one questions of these culinary experts. I spent the better part of the day watching them cook, snapping photos and asking questions about their passion project: cooking. I learned the proper way to slice vegetables and other ingredients without cutting myself (you curl your fingers ever-so-slightly under your knuckles while slicing and keep the knife mostly level with the cutting board), learned what hollandaise sauce was and how to poach an egg, and that many African dishes contain peanuts (too bad for me because I’m allergic).

Never throughout the course of my career did I expect that I would get the chance to photograph food, but it was incredibly thrilling to find a way to show off a dish so that an outsider would hear their stomach growl while staring at the photo. And, after capturing the perfect photo of each dish I even got to sample those tantalizing meals created by the talented chefs in the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. Culinary Center. I certainly enjoyed the experience, and, despite my nerves, I think my photos did some justice to those dishes that put the short "Tasty" videos on Facebook to shame.