I’m setting my sights on jiggly vittles. This week we explore the weird world of gelatin.
There’s something odd about jello. It’s a fresh cold fruit concoction made of dried up animal bones. It wiggles. It’s a dessert. Or is it?
The history of jello is rich and oddly, so is the photographic history. It’s not hard to find photos that are relevant to this project.
My intention is to photograph a recipe called “Tomato Surprise,” which I heard about on a podcast called the Sporkful. Tomato Surprise is a recipe that some Librarians of Congress had passed around as part of one of their employee cooking clubs. The recipe, listed on the podcast, evoked a feeling of unease in my stomach that I though would fit perfectly in this series so I tracked it down. Luckily it was easy to find on the podcast’s website.
An early trial run last week ended in disappointing results, from both a culinary and photographic perspective. The meal was not appetizing, or delicious. It doesn’t need to be delicious. In fact, that’s a matter of taste anyway, as I discovered that other podcast listeners had tried an enjoyed the recipe. But it does need to be prettier, so I’m going to adapt the recipe a little bit for this project, adding more jello and gelatin, and reducing the amount of fruit in the concoction.
This website seems like it would help me with technique.
I have some new cutlery and dishware for this.
Wish me luck.
As for last week…
I built a burger and a big ol’ bun.
Last week was a success. I think It’s going to get harder here forward. Several hours of bun and burger construction led to a good shoot. The speedlites I used to light the set were a huge help. I think that the lighting and pose were pretty sufficient for creating a scene that looks like a flat, magazine photo.
Leave a Reply