I realize that you are probably tired of eggs, being that it's just a few days after Easter and you've probably still got a dozen hardboiled hanging out in your fridge. However, if you can handle thinking about them just a little bit longer, then you've got to check out this book. It is one of the more beautiful cookbooks that has crossed my path in a long time and, even though I promised myself that I wouldn't buy any more cookbooks until I was actively using the 200 or so that I already have, I just wasn't able to resist buying Michel Roux's Eggs.

In addition to being a downright lovely book, it is also accessible and useful. It touches on every aspect of the egg, from chemistry and safety, to how to best storage your eggs and ways in which you can get the best flavor out of them. It starts with the basics of hardboiled eggs (although I'm guessing you probably already have that covered) and proceeded to walk you through some of the most glorious frittatas, omelets, mousses, custards and baked egg delights. If you often have people over for brunch, this book will help you think about using eggs in new and creative ways. I can't wait to try out some of its recipes.

That is the title of a great article from blogger, celebrity TV chef and photographer Benjamin Christie.

He opens with "most of us don't have the time to go to great lengths to create the perfect shot, so here are a few ideas, tips and more on how you can achieve your perfect food photo" which about sums up the post - he covers the equipment he uses and the reasons why, the three types of food photography (Close in (food only) and all in focus, Close in with limited depth of field and Table setting elements providing character and a reference situation). Each has a great photograph as an illustration.

He concludes with a few hints in regards to lighting. Worth a read for all budding foodporn image takers.

For those with camera and a penchant for a little piece of foodporn may like to join in with the new themes at Foodography and Still Life With... As it is the start of a new month so new themes have been selected for these two flickr groups.

Foodography has had Sam select Liquid as the theme. Thinking less wine and drink (after all my theme last month was wine bottle and glass) more creative shots of liquidised food, olive oils, sauces, reductions, gravy boats and the like. But of course there is nothing to stop you going the smoothie route or taking pictures of cooling cocktails complete with condensation just to get the taste buds going!

Still Life With... has Food and People as the theme. Something I tend never to include in photos is people. Here perhaps I should get out and take some snaps of my local Starbucks staff or that greasy little man in the kebab van... another great theme to get you snapping!

With such an excellent image who could not have expected Bron to win! The Does My Blog Look Good In This photo competition for July had a record number of entries all expertly handled by Grab Your Fork. The panel of judges selected this wonderful picture as the overall winner. Next months competition moves, as it does each month, to a new host and will be announced shortly.

Now here is one set of delicious food porn images that simply MUST make you hungry!

Not sure how I discovered the site and there isn't much in the way of information of the photographer behind it, so I can only assume he is a pro. The quality of the images are inspirational. But this being a photo gallery site there are no details of the food, no recipes either of course.

The gallery is named after the photographer: Matthew Klein.  As with many of these showcasing/promotional sites the design is rather fun too.

I have just posted this over on our Digital Photographer blog but I thought it worth repeating here - The Observer, in conjunction with Seeds of Change, is hosting a food photography competition with prizes up to £10,000.

FOr all you budding foodporn merchants: you need to impress! They have set up three categories: Food and People, Food and Thought, and Food, Glorious Food. So plenty of opportunities for demonstrating your creativity. Entrants can submit up to 5 photos per category, and short listed exhibitors will receive a subscription to Practical Photographer magazine. UK only I believe.

Entries are due by June 30th, and can be submitted on-line.

Aussie based Tomatom has just posted the results from the hotly contested Does My Blog Look Good In This photo competition. Ignoring the fact that two winning entries came from the same person (the rules state just one entry per person/blog per month) the standard of entries was really great for this round. Ed has posted a spreadsheet of the results with comments from the two judges - Terry Durack (restaurant reviewer for The Independent on Sunday in London and European editor of Gourmet Traveller) and Jill Dupleix (The Times cook in London).

The winning photo really is excellent, I hope you agree. It was entered by Lucullian Delights. The next round, now accepting entries, is being hosted by Nika's Culinaria.

 

Is this the worse piece of food photography ever? So says Pim and Larffic on Still Life With... agrees.

So much so that Larffic has laid down the challenge for all budding food photographers to recreate the dish. She gives full details of the recipe - it is a combination of tuna, salad, cucumber, croutons and a sauce - and you have until the end of the month to post your rendition on the Still Life With... flickr group.

It seems to me that the croutons are more like toast. Are not croutons small little cubes of crispy bread? Or is the photograph just so bad...

My local town, Henley-on-Thames, has just hosted a food festival. Two days of, well, eating and drinking. These two sisters had great fun at a chocolate fountain; sadly through the palm trees this was the best shot I could get but certainly captures a moment.

[Photo Andrew Barrow]

My entry for the St. Georges Day English pudding event I mentioned earlier. Can you guess what it is? No not going to tell until tomorrow. No not a word except that it tastes delicious, has lashings of cream topping and contains...

 

[Photo Andrew Barrow]

The start of a new month and a new theme for the food photography challenge that is better known as Foodography. A theme of Green has been set by Sam of Becks and Posh opening the subject to anything from spring greens, olives, peas, packaging, food colouring through to green liqueurs such as Chartreuse.

The joy of foodography is that you don't need a blog or website of your own to participate, as everything is hosted by flickr. You can also add your own views to each submission, as critical appraisal is the best way to learn and improve ones efforts in the realm of food porn. Entries have been taken with top-of-the-line digital cameras through to ancient compacts held to gether with tape and if you just like an excuse to take a pic and not receive any comments you can do that too by leaving a "No Critique" under your submission.

I have just posted the winning photographs for the monthly food porn photography competition, Does My Blog Look Good In This, over on my spittoonextra blog. The photo here is the winning entry and I am sure you will agree that it is a superb image; great lighting and superb colours - a worthy winner.

Congratulations to Mahanandi with the excellent Murukulu and Tea. Thanks too to the judges - Nick and Nicole from Slashfood, Jeanne Cooksister and Johanna the Passionate Cook. One of the judges stated that it is a "Great shot. Love the shapes, the colours and especially the lighting." My thought though was that perhaps, there is just a little too much empty space to top right and not enough at the bottom. Apart from that - ain't it great!?