Studio Time: Food Photography

We are a camera-obsessed bunch.  Paparazzi to the food production of Europe, if you will.  I find myself taking photos of our entire class studiously bending closer to whatever object is on display, cameras furiously clicking, just for the sheer absurdity of what passes for normal behaviour.

There was a fair amount of grumbling Thursday morning.  Our dinner the night before had run substantially over, and we hadn't arrived back to our convent/hotel until well past 2am.  Piero, our trusty and beloved driver for our last three study trips, had a regulated 9 hour rest break and so was entitled to a lie-in.  We however, were not.  Our day-long food and travel photography workshop at Alberto Cocchi's studio in Parma couldn't be rescheduled, so 9am found us dragging our heels onto the train to Parma.  And of course, in true Italian fashion, the ticket office and dispensers at the Casalmaggiore station were no longer in operation.  Our tutor was overtired and slightly stressed.

We eventually trickled into Alberto's studio and let out an audible gasp.  Two large, airy brick warehouses side by side, tricked out with thousands of dollars of equipment in an ultra-modern style.  And Alberto, smart man, had plenty of coffee at ready.

It was an incredibly memorable day.  We started with lectures, our Canon G-series out to test the tips we were learning.  (Our class has become sheep in regards to cameras - over the course of this year no fewer than ten of us have fallen in love with this particular model.)  A chef came in and began preparing a gorgeous meal in the back kitchen, which we all ate in the reception area next door.  Again, Alberto came through with beer and more coffee.

After lunch, we got down to business.  Walking us through his decision-making process, Alberto photographed several spectacular dishes prepared by the chef.  Whether huddling around the table, or watching the process on the massive screen in the centre of the room, it was a first-hand look of a professional at work.

The rest of stage found us comparing f-stops and shutter speed for every photograph taken.  Alberto, you've created a class of monsters.