BALTIMORE COOKING CLASS

This is an image from my second attempt at the Strobist (learn how to light at Strobist.com) cooking light assignment for Lighting 102. Oil/vinegar containers from Bed, Bath, and Beyond (recieved as a wedding gift years ago). Olive oil and red wine vinegar. (Tried to place flash behind bottles for backlight using Basalmic vinegar and quickly realized that it is far too dark...even with strobe placed directly behind the bottle, no light came through at all...shucks!)

Strobist Info: one SB-28 at 1/64 (or 1/32?) power through 2 translucent Ikea cutting boards (DRALLA bendable chopping board, set of 2 for $1.99...much thinner and larger than the ones mentioned on strobist.com) on camera left, large foamcore reflector on camera right. 1 snooted (2") SB-800 at 1/128 power AND 2-stop ND filter (thank God for sample packs...1/512 power) behind bottles with paper diffuser (to eliminate flash head hot spot). Bottles are on smoky glass placed over velvet with felt hanging behind (see my setup shot). Exposure was something like 1/250 @ f/8 or f/11. SB-28 triggered via 2 TTL-off-camera cables (SC-17/SC-29) daisy chained together...still waiting on my radio triggers. SB-800 set to photo slave/SU-4 mode.

The steak looks like a cinder, but it was fine!! Fork tender, medium rare! And the cheese sauce on the broccoli was so thin it ran right through. But if I want to encourage people to have fun in the kitchen and be fearless experimenters, I guess I have to show a few failures too. It tasted great!! And the greatest deep fry oil in the world made some great onion rings!! A hint...it's of plant origin, is burned for energy and not deposited in your body, the highest heat tolerance of any oil (smokes instead of burns), doesn't pick up flavors and can be reused several times.. Give up? It's coconut oil--I use filtered organic and because of the filtering, it's bland and does not taste like coconut. And doesn't make you feel bad after you pig out on onion rings, as I did!!