Consistency

American ★ Cupcake — the line up so far, originally uploaded by ♥ digitalShe™.

I’ve been working on a project for some time now with a caterer who is amazingly creative and upbeat.
Consistency has been the key to our future. Devin of American ★ Cupcake is the most creative bakers & chefs I’ve ever met — we came together several years ago when our businesses were both just getting a jump-start online. I asked if she would lend a hand with my Food Photography and bring some of her sweet cakes to the studio to start. After one taste of her cakes, & one look at my pics we became fast friends.

Last spring Devin called to say she was opening her cupcake shop, and would I come to photograph for her… Of course! Always ready to help a friend out. Over last year we’ve had some great laughs, more than a few shoots, and made some pretty Tasty Food Photos. Every few months since Devin has asked me back as her menu evolves and she thinks up great new flavors for cupcakes.

Why does she keep requesting me back, I asked recently?
Because, Devin said, she knows I will produce consistent looking food images for her. It doesn’t matter, a month or a year later, the light on her cakes will be just right.  Plus all of her sweets AND savory foods match the clean theme of her store, website and marketing materials.

Taking a minute extra to make notes on our final light setup and camera settings is just one of the little things I do that sets me apart from the crowd of food photographers. Making a few quick notes has helped to eliminate confusion when returning to shoot Devin’s food, ensuring that the lighting and final images will be consistent every time.

The hardest part about shooting food is finding the best food to start with.  We start by examining and setting aside a few perfect cakes, frosting them with precision and carefully move them to the shooting table to ensure they come out looking great — that is the tricky part. Of course not all cakes will come out looking exactly the same (like those manufactured ones) these are lovingly handcrafted.
“Just like your mother never made”.

Stop by American ★ Cupcake on Union in SF next time your in the area…
Savory or Sweet, you’ll see why it’s my favorite cupcake shop in The City — consistently!

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