My introduction to photography & why the recipe section is making a comeback.

You're probably aware by now but a big part of my creative time is spent developing delicious recipes for my Patreon & YouTube crews on top of everything else I've been documenting on this blog.

Back in 2012, I launched my first culinary blog, Zesty&Spicy.com, after my first burnout because cooking had always been my way to relax outside work, so, I figured, why not create an online page where I can share this passion with the world, maybe gain visibility for another skill and at the same time have an easy, searchable collection of my favourite recipes for personal use and/or to share with my friends and family. You may think my toxic trait is always trying to make my hobbies my job, and you wouldn't be far off.

Anyway 🙃✨

What I don't talk about often is how food photography introduced me to photography as a whole, and how I learned to shoot models from there.

It only took a few shutter clicks to get me hooked, and at first, I was all about food, and the idea of shooting people made me nervous. Food stayed still; it didn't judge my lack of experience while I learned the camera settings, didn't notice my clumsiness, or the fact that I was a complete burnt-out mess. Slowly but surely, I learned to frame, shoot with the right settings for the result I want, and choose the right lenses for each use.

Since then, I've shot everything from beginner to experienced models, weddings, events, lifestyle, and nature, and documented my travels; photography is an integral part of who I am as a creative and a medium I always return to. Some of my work has been published in print, and some is available online.

Fast forward to today, and jumping back to food: I've wanted to bring back this type of photography on here because, first, I find it very artistic as it is my first "photography love", and because I really want to make this website a complete display of all my creations.

If you're already a member of my FoodieFanClub on Patreon, nothing changes for you. Some of these publications may seem repetitive, as you'll continue to get weekly recipes with a lot of photos, restaurant reviews, and access to the FoodieFanClub chatroom.

One reason to bring back this section on the main site is to let everyone who isn't on Patreon see what's being published, although not all Patreon recipes will be showcased on this blog, and the main reason is to add food photography to my portfolio, because it has been, and still is, a large part of what I photograph.

Whoever reads this, I hope you will enjoy what's about to be published. Feel free to subscribe to my newsletter to receive updates (on the main page) every time something new appears on the site, and/or come join the fun on Patreon, as it is free until you want to unlock extra content, and it's another great way to keep up with the latest news.