Shooting some more editorial style food photography at my London studio recently  made for a great photo session and working with an upmarket Indian restaurant was a great joy. With some delicious food photography to be had, I couldn't wait for the Team from Viceroy Indian restaurant to arrive with their talented chef, all the way from Staffordshire.

One of the best things about working on modern food is that there is so much competition, with many chefs trying to get their food to stand out form the crowd. This is particularly evident with new restaurants and event caterers where the end customer is always looking to be wowed. Hence the chefs going the extra mile in the preparation and final appearance of the food. For a food photographer, that is music to our ears.

If you like scallops, this is a great simple, delicious and quick recipe.

Make the sauce first

1. Zest one orange and keep zest to one side
2. Cut the skin and pith off this plus 1 or 2 more oranges then slice them about 7-8mm think
3. Place slices in a hot cast iron or non stick pan and give them a good charring on both sides
4. Allow to cool slightly then place in metal sieve and with the back of a ladle, squeeze all the juice out into the pan, then add the zest.
5. On a low heat, with the juice just steaming, allow the juice to reduce. You can add a little sugar to help caramelise and thicken.
6. Leave to one side, once ready.

The scallops.

1. Trim if necessary then pat dry the scallops with kitchen towel and season with salt an pepper.
2. Heat up a pan with some olive oil or butter in it.
3. When hot, swiftly add the scallops, one at a time, forming a circle. They should sizzle, when the first one goes in otherwise the pan is not hot enough.
4. Once the last scallop is in, cook for about 2-3 minutes(should be golden), then flip them one at a time, going round the circle and starting with the first one that went in.
5. After a further 2 minutes, when golden on second side, remove from pan and serve
6. Drizzle on the sauce, add garnish and serve.

Tip 1- No need to move the scallops around in the pan while cooking.

Tip 2- If scallops are stuck, then let them cook a little longer.

Tip 3- The scallops should be opaque and not translucent on the sides.

It's a great time of year for fresh fruit and veg and so we took advantage of it for a recent shoot, photographing some lovely ingredients.

Just simple lighting and simple background.

First up, is this lovely purple chicory, shot on stone with some directional yet softened lighting. Very simple but some good detail on parts of the leaf.

The background kept a little soft to avoid blending with the chicory itself.

Followed by some multi coloured carrots, each colour having it's own nutritional benefits.

You may have just missed the season for British asparagus as they are harvested for the last time on the summer solstice, the 21st of June, so here's a reminder of how great they were.

Savoury Food Photography

Sweet Food Photography

Published Food Photography