Summer isn't over yet in Australia, but the weather is so miserable these days, with the rain and floods in NSW regularly making the news, that I have already switched to rich heavier winter kinda food. Rhubarb is available most of the year but is at the height of its season during winter so I got myself a bunch the other day to try an easy crumble recipe, also hoping that the kids would give it a go - and I tell you what.... the secret is whipping up a LOOOT of cream.

They loved it and I am happy that I even managed to snatch a couple of shots before it was rapidly destroyed :)

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Dario Milano is a professional food photographer and stylist based in Sydney freelancing for editorial and avertising clients both nationally and internationally.

All surfaces and food styling props are owned and available for hire at www.cracklemedium.com 

 

 

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Posted in food photography sydney, food styling sydney, prop hire online, prop hire online sydney, food pixels, crackle medium, dario milano

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All right, it's been a very long run ( a whole year !! ) but I finally I made it and, today, I am happy to announce the launch of my newest project: Crackle Medium. 

Crackle Medium is an online prop hire service with a large catalogue of tableware, surfaces, and industrial furniture. I personally selected, bought, transported, moved a milion times, photographed, re - photographed, catalogued, retouched and stored away all of these objects. I dream about props too !

And I am just getting started, as plenty more will come.

Since I began Food Pixels in 2007, I have been accumulating props for food photography. Props are so important for a food and lifestyle photographer; even more important for a food stylist! Seeking out everything from vintage pieces to Australian-crafted ceramics has become a real passion of mine. Not only, but I have also learnt how to build and distress rustic reclaimed timber surfaces to use as background for editorial and advertising food photography; and I have made as many as 50 of them !!

Now I have a beautiful, user -friendly website ( thanks to Max ! ) and all of this is available for hire, in Sydney and NSW.

The site goes live on the 29th of February and we will be taking our first orders on March the 1st. On the Home page you'll find a short instructional video that explains how the site work and how to hire.

You can browse now at www.cracklemedium.com ; I would love a feedback and any suggestion is welcomed.

Below, a small selection of some of my favourite items; I hope you like them too!

I can't wait to get back to photographing food, and with all this props, who knows..... may be I should make a book soon?

 

 

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Posted in food photography props, lifestyle photography props, prop hire online, prop hire online sydney, food styling, crackle medium, food pixels, food photography

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Summer is finally here and, with the raising temperature and sunny weather outside, I feel like something chilled and light for lunch ; gazpacho is the answer ! I discovered this cold soup native to Spain and traditionally made from tomatoes and other raw vegetables, while travelling through the Andalucía region in Southern Spain, a few years back.

 

A traditional Andalucían gazpacho includes stale bread, vinegar, olive oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes and other summer vegetables. I love the stuff and since my assistant, Ana, is from Argentina, I asked her if she could prepare some to be photographed at last weeks' food photography and food styling workshop, here in Sydney.

( I know Argentina is in South America.... they also list gazpacho as a traditional dish, that's it )

The gazpacho was delicious and I am also quite happy with how the images turned out, especially the first one here on top, which is the hero image; the second picture, below, was just an exercise we did with speedlights to show students how to work the flash at home.

But one thing at a time; top image is a two lights set up: main light is a strip box coming at the glasses from roughly 2 o'clock - the shadows of the props on the table are the giveaway here. This light does not fall on the background which is a few feet away and is lit separately by a second strobe placed right next to the other one but pointing away from the food .

I like these sort of setups as they allow for more lighting creativity in keeping the hero and the background separated.

The second image was instead achieved by a single speedlight hidden under the table, at 9 o' clock camera left, and bounced off a white wall a couple of meters away; the reflection on the glass is the giveaway in this case.

Notice how the wall does a very good job in diffusing the hard light bursting off the flash? no fill card was used here, just that one light.

Both images have an intriguing mood, but I prefer the first one, for the angle and the neater separation between food and backdrop; which one's your favourite?

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P.S. it looks like there will be an announcement, soon , about the first ever food photography workshop in Brisbane; if you are interested it might be a good idea to register your interest asap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Food photography workshop, flash photography, dario milano, gazpacho, food styling, food photography, food photography sydney

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