Taking food porn to a whole new level

I am absolutely transfixed by the work of photographer Ryan Matthew Smith for the forthcoming book "Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking." Smith was the lead lensman and photo editor behind the project.

A short write-up:

"From compositing several individual exposures for one enticing cutaway shot of hamburgers on a grill to shooting a lineup of eggs with a 308 sniper rifle at 6200 frames per second, Smith masterfully executed and edited the cookbook's selection of images down from the 1,400 he shot. Smith explains that while he had little studio experience before beginning the project, his extensive portfolio of architecture- and nature-focused photos helped prepare him and that 'having a strong artistic sense towards photography in general can easily transfer through any of the disciplines from advertising all the way to fine art.'"

He primarily used a Canon 5D Mark II with zoom and macro lenses to create "minimalist, high contrast imagery that really pops off the page." I'll say.

Building the sets, shooting (and sometimes re-shooting) the food and finally editing the photos was a three year process in total.

If you're curious/want more food porn pictures, there's an excellent interview with Smith on featureshoot.com.

Also, check out his high speed video of popcorn popping shot with (my favourite camera) the Phantom V12.1 (camera was used for the eggs photo, too).

Caroline