Blogging & Food Photography:
I want to start a blog. Can you help me?
Yes and no. I am…by no means…an expert on blogging. Just by experience alone though, I can tell you that there are two things that you need to know before you start one. Number one….which blog hosting program are you going to use (Blogger, WordPress, Typepad, etc…). I recommend Blogger if you are first starting out and then once you become familiar with the ins and outs of blogging (html, post production, etc..) I would make the switch to WordPress. The second thing you will need to figure out is what topic would you like to blog about (food, parenting, scrapbooking, reading, etc..)? Figuring out these two things will start you off on the right path.
Do you do your own layouts for the blog?
This site is on WordPress, however, for many years it was housed over at Blogger. In the beginning, I used to create my own layouts through Googling and reading. I purchased digital scrapbooking kits off the internet and used/manipulated them with Microsoft Paint and Office Publisher. Towards the end of my Blogger days, I broke down and had someone design it.
Do you take your own pictures for the blog?
The pictures that you see on the blog have been taken by both my husband and I. Husband Man is an amateur photographer and has taught me everything I know about picture taking. His passion for photography matches my passion for cooking. As of November 2015, we shoot our pictures with a Nikon D7000 (mine) and a Sony A7ii (his). We are in no way professional photographers and still have lots and lots to learn about food photography.
What advice can you give someone about food photography?
The one thing that I can tell you about taking good food pictures….is natural lighting. Find a place in your house where the sun comes through the window…..and use that as your picture taking spot. I like to take my pictures early in the morning when the sun is brightest.
Do you get paid to post for certain companies? And how can I start doing this myself?
I do get compensated for my time when I do this (monetary and product wise). Honestly, all the companies who I have ever had the pleasure of working with all have contacted me first for partnerships so I wouldn’t have a clue as to how one would start doing this.
Cooking:
Do you ever find yourself in a cooking rut?
I sure do. Sometimes my ruts can last for days or even weeks. It’s hard to get out of them too. Usually I look to my wonderful collection of cookbooks and culinary magazines to send some inspiration my way. Sometimes I even visit other cooking/recipe blogs to re-ignite that spark.
When a recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic, does that usually mean the whole ball of garlic? Or just the little pieces that you can break apart?
You can use 2 little pieces of the whole ball. To make it even faster, you can also use already made minced garlic….which you can find in any grocery store in the produce area.
Personal:
Is Libby your real name?
It is my nickname. My real name is Olivia. I use Olivia while corresponding through e-mail so this may be why it confuses people. Those who are close to me know me as Libby and rarely call me Olivia. I like to think of all my readers as people who are close to me. Plus, I don’t know….Cooking with Libby sounds better then Cooking with Olivia 😉
Do your children really like to help you cook and bake?
Yes. They really do…especially my daughter! She comes up to me at least twice a week and asks to help me cook. I don’t discourage her either. Children love getting into the kitchen and helping. It gives them a chance to flex their creativity and also spend some one on one time with mommy (or daddy). From stirring to measuring, there is always something for them to do to help out.
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Have a question for me?
Send me an e-mail at: olivias@cookingwithlibby.com and I will get back with an answer.