P#26: A Delectable Photograph of Chocolate and Raspberries

The Right Place at the Right Time

Ron Goldman: This photograph of chocolate and raspberries was actually taken in a restaurant. I happened to be in this restaurant one day and they had the most amazing display of desserts I'd ever seen in my life. The owner of the restaurant happened to be there.

I started talking with him and asked if they would be interested in possibly trading some time and I would give them three images of the shoot I was doing for them. Then I would use the images in my portfolio.

They said they'd been meaning to do it for a long time, but they'd just never gotten around to it and they would be thrilled if I would come in and shoot. I was lucky enough to get three or four of their pastry chefs setting stuff up for me constantly.

All I had to worry about was the camera, the photography and the lighting. They were moving plates in and out as fast as I could shoot them, which really makes it a lot easier on the photographer.

They do a lot of wedding catering and this was one of their fancy desserts -- these hollow chocolate cylinders. They put all different kinds of things inside of them. They had little raspberry cream filings and they put a few raspberries and some raspberry sauce on the tray. (click the image for a larger version)

The nice thing about raspberries and even the raspberry sauce is that they have a very translucent quality to them, so if you get the light to hit it at the right angle it really glows. For me, that was very eye-catching to have that translucent quality of the subjects on there with the dark chocolate.

Audri Lanford: The swirl is reflected in the chocolate as well.

Ron Goldman: Yeah, one of the problems of shooting chocolate is it reflects everything. That can be a real problem. There are some dulling sprays and other things you can use on them if you don't want the reflection in there.

Audri Lanford: This one works.

Ron Goldman: With this image, I would prefer to see it without all the reflections, but I did not have any other options that day so this was how the final image turned out. The owner of the restaurant was happy with it so it worked out just fine.

In Conclusion

Sometimes you just need a little luck on your side. That's what Ron Goldman had with him the day he visited the restaurant that creates this amazing dessert. Not only did he find some beautiful desserts to shoot, but he was also able to partner with the restaurant so they could prepare the food for his photography sessions. That's how this image of chocolate and raspberries came to be.