Is it just me or does anyone else think it’s stressful being a food blogger? I’ll use this recipe post as an example, after cooking this chili for almost four hours and liking how it looks, the time comes to pull the trigger on the meal. After all, this is whats for dinner and I have other hungry mouths to feed, but wait I have to get some pictures before the sun starts to set or everything will just look yellow and blah under the kitchen lights. I chose a small window of time to make a set for some pictures while my wife went to pick up my daughter from an after school class. Perfect I thought, I’ll take the pictures and by the time they return I can just serve the food and all will be good. tummies will be full and I’ll be a kitchen hero.
WRONG! I didn’t take into account the screaming almost two year old who wants to eat right at that second and who followed me out to where I had set up my stage area and who didn’t want to play with any of his toys in the yard. No, he just wanted to stick his finger in the middle of my cornbread just as I’m trying to focus in on some nice close up shots! Since I had only taken about three pictures I decided to put the little cornbread vandal back indoors. This was not in his plan but I’m bigger than him so I won. I went back outside to try and salvage the hole, all the while it’s getting darker and I can see my pictures disappearing in a haze of dullness which no exposure setting can ever fix and then lo and behold the gardener turns up and I’m sure is looking at me like I’m either setting a place for him and he’s having some nice chili before he starts on my yard or I’m just another crazy customer of his. Either way I didn’t look up and kept clicking.
I scooped up the food and dived back inside much to the dismay of the gardener probably, and after explaining to the little guy that daddy is not crazy and lots of people take pictures of food I proceeded to start to serve dinner. Everyone was happy and nobody got hurt (except the cornbread).
Mission accomplished…..
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

I would like to mention a good friend of mine and her quest to raise money for two very deserving causes – Charity Water and JDRF. These are two awesome foundations which are around solely to help others less fortunate. Some of you may know already about JDRF and my whole bake sale fundraiser and as Andrea is a walker on our team she has kindly chosen JDRF as one of her causes. Andrea is selling Advertisement spots on her lifestyle blog, Four Flights of Fancy, which receives a high number of traffic and visitors so getting a spot on there could be really beneficial to your online business. Every dollar she receives from the advertisement spots will go back to Charity Water and JDRF! Go visit her blog and check out the requirements, it’s a cool place and I bet you’ll keep going back.
Very tasty combination.Love the corn bread;)
I am saving this. I can see this as a festive family meal Thanksgiving Eve. Glad you salvaged your photo shoot!
Bless! Little man had different plans :) Well, I think your photos turned out beautifully. I mean, that chili is out of control yummy looking!
I think you are seeing the real picture here, lol. I think your shots came out great, but save yourself from some stress and invest in some table top ego lights. Always have some snacks ready for the kids, they wait for no photographer, lol.
-Gina-
Both the bread and chilli sound and look delicious. I think if you left the bread unattended outside (or anywhere) you could find a serious dent, a whole chunk or the whole missing.
At first my neighbors thought I was cuckoo for taking pictures at the grill. I just shared and now they like to see the camera set up.
Yum…perfect for the cooler nights we’re FINALLY getting here in Texas!!
I am trying this cornbread, I have been looking for a good one not from a “Jiffy” box! :) Love the buttermilk in it. Your chili looks great. I always use dark beer in my chili, and after two years blogging I can’t believe I haven’t posted my chili recipe yet. But then it’s been in many Super Bowl Chili cook offs and won each time…I think I’m safe to post though because I know those guys don’t read my food blog!
It’s always a challenge to blog about dinner…my family has learned to ask “did you get a picture yet?” and lighting is always an issue, many times I don’t get to finish until late…you know with work and all!
Your photos are fab, but I do understand what you mean about the stresses of being a food blogger. :) Both the the cornbread and the chili look scrumptious and I can’t wait to try them! Thanks for the great recipes!
mmm..that chilli dish is beckoning me to dive into it! Must be really super with the homemade cornbread.
We, too, eat the food that appears on my blog, so I’ve been in the garden with you :-). There are times I amazed at my own lunacy. I’m probably certifiable. Your meal sounds lovely and your photos are fine. Hug the little guy while you can. Time passes quickly. Have a great weekend. Blessings…Mary
What I want to know is why the gardener decided to turn up when it was getting dark? :-} You should’ve left the hole in the cornbread, we love little, authentic touches like that! Your chili looks great, all it needed really was my extra hot sauce, or maybe just a heaped tablespoon in your bowl, you daredevil!
Yummy creations! The chili sounds wonderful and very tempting. Bookmarked!
Looks so, so warming and comforting, Gerry. I have to agree that sometimes being a food blogger is stressful… especially for those of us that shoot our dishes in natural light.
Sometimes I feel like I’m falling so far behind on posts – with my job I only really have time for 3 per week but man! Some superbloggers churn out 5-6. We must all do our best, though, and to me your photos look just fine :)
I love your post! Even though I have no children, I am quite the perfectionist so can totally relate to you! Everything looks & sounds delicious.
Great story! I’m sure your gardener would have loved a bowl of chili. LOL. The chili and cornbread look great despite your photo op challenges.
Tell me about how difficult it is to be a food blogger. When I cook I have my husband and son wondering around like the bees ready to attack the food. And when lunch or dinner are ready and I want to take pictures they sit at the table and make so much noise with their cutlery it is impossible for me to concentrate and take the picture. So, what I do is to take pictures just before the dish is done. By the way what you made looks delicious I can understand the little fellow totally!
The chili and corn bread both look delicious (although I must confess I am a sucker for cornbread of any kind) and your photos turned out beautiful. Honestly, I end up having to re-create more foods that I care to admit just because I forget to snap pics along the way. And I rarely get concerned about natural lighting – point the iPhone, snap the pic, done! ;)
I made chili this weekend too! Yours looks so good. I did add beer to mine :) Cornbread looks great too. Happy Halloween!
Thanks for the comments,
Mary- your right plenty of hugs!
Maya- I must be last on the gardners run, he’ll be wearing night visions next!
The scene was more funny than stressful actually and I know there will be many more times like this but thats fine with me!!
Why is it that everything seems to blow up when it’s time to take pictures? I don’t even have any kids at home nowadays but the same thing happens here as the light slowly slips away! Love your recipes, so delicious sounding and perfect for this time of the year!
Yum! Sounds delish! I use bacon and beer in my chili, too. I’ll have to try the buttermilk in my cornbread. It’s definitely chili whether now, can’t wait to try it. Your pictures look great! Thanks for sharing.
Look absolutely delicious!! gloria
I showed this to my husband Gerry and he said we have to make this!
Amazing!
Oh yeah, I think we’ve all had those “trying to get the shot” moments. This time of the year, I have given up on the possibility of natural lighting unless it’s a weekend.
Yes I feel your pain, Gerry! Being a food blogger can be so stressful at times! But so rewarding too :) I don’t have a little one so I don’t have as good of an excuse but I do always seem to struggle with the photography session! Both the chili and the cornbread look amazing, and I’ll definitely be making both soon during the chilly season :)
Both the bread and chilli sound and look delicious:)