"camera" news and stories

I'm generally very open to new technologies. I blog. I Twitter. While I don't have an iPhone (yet), I am perfectly sympathetic to people who feel the need to read CNN.com headlines during movie previews.

This, however, has me scratching me head: A "Pizza Cam" from Santa Clara, California-based Party Pizza pizzeria. You order your pizza, then log in to the "Dough Cam," "Kitchen Cam" and "Oven Cam" to watch your pizza in various stages of gestation. You can even get a Pizza Cam app for your iPhone.

I like the idea of knowing where my food comes from, but that doesn't generally get as specific as knowing what it looks like while the mozzarella melts. The phrase "like watching grass grow" springs to mind.

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There are many food bloggers out there who take stunning, professional-quality photographs of food for their websites. There are an equal number who seem to suffer a bit from poor lighting and blurry images, though. Photographers will get better with practice, but it helps to have a good eye for composition and the ability to hold the camera steady when you're trying to take pictures - especially ones of food, which tend to be from close up and trying to capture a lot of detail. It's safe to say that there are three major elements that will really help anyone looking to improve their photography: a quality camera, good lighting and a tripod or stand,

You're on your own for the camera, but the Photo Studio in a Box offers the other two in a neat little package. It includes an adjustable camera stand, soft light box and backgrounds, two high output table-top lights (to eliminate unflattering shadows and highlight the details of your subject) and a nylon diffuser screen. It also comes with a custom carrier so you can use the studio when traveling, although restaurants probably won't be thrilled if you try to set it up on the table.

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Maki at i was just really very hungry posted a great guide on how to take food photos in restaurants and other public places. A prolific blogger and writer, she has extensive experience and, judging from her photos, is good at what she does. Now, with some practice (and a good camera), getting quality photos at home isn't too difficult because you have the control over the lighting and there is not time pressure because there isn't anyone at the next table peeking over to see what you're doing.

Restaurants can be challenging places to shoot if they're dark, quiet or crowded, and because they are places of business, it is important to be unobtrusive. Maki uses three different cameras, ranging from a professional model to a camera phone for taking her photos. While she prefers to use the pro camera, there are situations were the other two are simply more appropriate, such as trying to be discrete with a camera in a restaurant. Beyond camera selection, here are a few of her tips for taking good food photos away from home:

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Sarah was pretty critical – and with good reason – of Anthony Bourdain's recent trip to Korea, which was featured on the Travel Channel's No Reservations. Along with many of the commenters, she felt that there was not enough food and too much traveling. But it takes a lot of filming to put the show together and the crew is always trying to find the right balance of food, adventure and travel.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer was able to get behind the cameras when the show was being filmed in the Pacific Northwest. It takes up to 100 hours of footage to make the hour-long program, so there is a lot for the editor to choose from. While they try to concentrate primarily on food, stories about locals or unique travel situations are what keep the program moving and interesting to viewers because No Reservations is not a cooking/food show, but a travel/food show.

Check out the whole article if you're interested in reading about Tony's geoduck hunt or how the crew has to bribe him to eat particularly distasteful foods. Otherwise, just wait until the episode airs later this season.

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Every foodie who likes to take a good picture needs to invest in one of these bottle-top tripods. The way it works is simple: there is a tripod attachment on the top of a bottle cap. The cap fits onto any bottles with a 28.5 - 30.5-mm diameter. Using a tripod will virtually eliminate shaking and blurs in your food photographs and allow you to focus on your angle, plating and presentation. Of course, it is also a great way to set-up other types of photos, like a group shot at a family barbecue, for example. If you do try it, make sure to send us your food porn pics! Price: $19.99.

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