FAQ - Resplendent Kitchen

I have put together some frequently asked questions, such as the gear I use, whether it's expensive to eat vegan, whether I accept guest posts or advertising, food photography resources, and how I started my blog.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links. I only link to products and services that I highly recommend, personally use, and trust. There is no additional cost to you if you purchase something through one of these links.

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Where are you located?

I am in Tucson, Arizona. If you would like to know more about me, take a look at my about me page.

Is it expensive to eat vegan?

It can be expensive if you shop at pricey grocery stores and buy a lot of processed and prepared foods. However, it can be quite affordable if you make most of your meals at home with whole food ingredients. Beans, greens, legumes, whole grains, rice, and potatoes are some of the most inexpensive foods you can purchase.

Buy local seasonal fresh produce and be sure to check out the farmers markets in your area. If you have the time and the space to grow your own produce, that's even better!

Can I use your recipe or photos on my website?

Please DO NOT re-publish my recipes or photos since they are copyrighted.

If you wish to use a photo for a recipe round-up post or if you are referring to one of my recipes, you may use one photo with credit and a clear link back to the recipe. If you publish collage-type images in social media to promote a roundup post, you may include a thumbnail-sized photo of the recipe included in the roundup.

Using a photograph without credit and links as described, or re-publishing the recipe in its entirety is strictly forbidden and constitutes copyright infringement.

If you created a recipe that was inspired by a recipe on my site, please credit Resplendent Kitchen with a link back to the original recipe post and do not use any of my images in your post.

All materials appearing on this site, including the images, recipes, and text are the sole property of Resplendent Kitchen, Copyright © 2021, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unauthorized use may violate copyright, trademark and other applicable laws and may result in criminal or civil penalties.

Do you accept guest posts or articles?

I do not accept guest posts.

Can we advertise on your website?

I do not accept requests for advertising on my site. SHE Media Partner Network handles the management of all advertising on Resplendent Kitchen.

If you are interested in sharing one of my recipes in your magazine or publication, please email me at emily (at) resplendentkitchen (dot) com to discuss. Whether I allow it depends on what recipe it is, how the recipe is being shared and in what publication. Please do not print my images or recipes without my express permission.

Can I use one of your images for commercial use?

Please contact me at emily (at) resplendentkitchen (dot) com to discuss. We may be able to come to an agreement on licensing. I am happy to create custom content and imagery for you. Please take a look at my commercial portfolio.

Can I send you free product to review?

I am happy to try your samples and products if they are 100% plant-based. If I love your products, there is a chance I will share them in my Instagram Stories. However, I do not guarantee a mention unless we agree to terms before the product is shipped.

I do not do product reviews on this website. For ways in which I work with brands, see my Services page.

Will you host a giveaway?

I no longer host giveaways.

Do you do sponsored posts?

Yes, I work with brands on sponsored posts. If you think your brand would be a good fit for Resplendent Kitchen, please see my Services page.

Why do you have ads on your site?

I provide quality content and well-tested recipes to my audience free of charge. The ads and occasional sponsored content provide me with an income and cover my expenses.

Why do recipe comments need approval?

I love reading and responding to your comments and feedback about my recipes. However, I require approval to stop spam comments which sometimes get past my spam filter and get in the way of helpful and useful comments.

If comments are unrelated to the topic at hand, or otherwise inappropriate, I delete them. It is my intention for my website to be a positive and uplifting environment.

What kind of gear do you use?

Camera

When I started learning about food photography and how to use a DSLR, I got a Nikon D3400 kit which is a crop sensor camera. Since then, my needs have changed and I now take my photos with a full-frame Nikon D810.

Lenses

Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG Macro OS for side angle, ¾ angle and macro shots

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens for overhead

Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 G ED as a macro lens for my crop sensor camera

Light Stands

Neewer Pro 9 feet Photo Studio Light Stand (heavy duty-I use these to put my strobe lights and large softboxes on)

Godox 210B 7' Light Stand - these is a lightweight one and I use a couple to hold

Tripods

My first choice is this tripod:

Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 Aluminum 3 Section Tripod with the Manfrotto 324RC2 Ball Head with 200PL-14 Quick Release Plate

This is my backup, it's a little smaller:

Manfrotto 290 Dual Aluminum 3-section tripod kit with ball head (MK290DUA3-BHUS)

For my smartphone I use this:

33'' Articulating Arm Phone Mount Stand for Baking Crafting Demo Videos/Live Streaming - Acetaken

White Balance

I love this Lastolite collapsible grey card. Depending on the background I choose, sometimes I do not get an accurate white balance so this grey card has come in handy many times.

Level

To make sure my camera is level, particularly for overhead shots, I use this bubble level.

External Hard Drive

WD 2 TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive

Where do you get your backdrops?

Bessie Bakes Backdrops

What lighting do you use?

When I started my blog in early 2019, I was using natural light. I was intimidated by the thought of using artificial light. From September 2019 onwards, I have been using artificial light primarily.

Most of the time, my home isn't conducive to shooting with natural light due to the layout of the windows and color cast, not to mention the harsh Arizona sunlight.

I started feeling limited with natural light, so in September 2019, I decided to learn flash photography, which is what commercial photographers use. It is freeing to be able to control the light source at any time of day.

To get started with artificial light, I purchased Godox SK400ii strobe lights. I bought a kit with everything I needed, including the light stands, trigger, wireless transmitter, softbox, lights, and more. Since then, I have purchased strip boxes to achieve moody lighting.

Another modifier I recently purchased is the Godox Octa Softbox with Bowens Speed Ring and Grid (55") for bright and airy images.

How did you learn to use artificial light?

I signed up for Joanie Simon's Artificial Academy course, and it's been a total game-changer for me. I highly recommend her artificial light course! When learning artificial light, there is a steep earning curve and it is a bit overwhelming in the beginning. Joanie's course is just what I needed to get comfortable with using artificial light.

I highly recommend Darina Kopcok's LightShaping ebook, a fantastic resource for getting started with artificial light photography. I have this 150-page ebook and continue to refer to it.

Darina Kopcok, a Vancouver-based commercial photographer and instructor, offers her new ebook LightShaping, A Guide to Getting Started with Artificial Light for Food Photography plus the following ebook bonuses: The Essential Gear Guide for Food Photography (24 pages), Understanding Exposure (29 pages), and Principles of Light (5 pages). LightShaping is a valuable resource that I can refer to any time I have a question or want to review information. With the search function, I can easily find what I'm looking for. I highly recommend it!

If you struggle with composition and would like to improve your food photography, check out Darina's ebook Rule of Thirds, mentioned below.

Sometimes, I feel a little stuck or uninspired; it happens to all of us. At times like this, I turn to Darina's 110-page Rule of Thirds, A Guide to Composition for Food Photography ebook for a new perspective.

Her ebook has helped me improve my food photography; it has been a source of inspiration and a prompt for my creativity, helping me look at composition from a fresh point of view. Darina reviews many composition principles, techniques, and case studies in her ebook; you can immediately apply these tips to your food photography.

Darina Kopcok also offers 42 composition PNG overlay templates (link below) from which you can create compositions while you do live tethering from your camera to your computer. You can interpret the templates as a starting point, infuse your style and creativity, and make them your own.

The PNG overlay templates come with a how-to video and a 9-page guide on using the overlays, plus a 24-page ebook on Getting Started with Shooting Tethered for Food Photography.

For working with natural light, I highly recommend Rachel Korinek's 94-page ebook, The Art of Light: Create Beautiful Images Every Time with Natural Light.

I have purchased these books and recommend them, in no particular order:

Food Photography: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating Appetizing Images by Corinna Gissemann

How to Photograph Food: Compose, Shoot, and Edit Appetizing Images by Bea Lubas

Creative Food Photography: How to Capture Exceptional Images of Food by Kimberly Espinel

Light, Science, & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting by Hunter, Biver, and Fuqua.

Picture Perfect Food: Master the Art of Food Photography with 52 Bite-Sized Tutorials by Joanie Simon

How do you edit your photos?

I retouch my photos with either Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, Capture One, or a combination.

When I first started learning about retouching, I dreaded editing my photos. I found it frustrating because I didn't know how to use the tools, and I didn't know how to get the look I envisioned.

I knew I needed to learn how to edit my photos more efficiently. I enrolled in the Lightroom Magic online class by Rachel Korinek, which was a gamechanger for me. It allowed me to take charge of my editing process, and it helped me find my workflow with a solid foundation of knowledge.

By taking the course, I learned many tools and techniques to add to my editing toolkit. And now that I know how to do it for myself, I can create what I envision every time without struggle. If this sounds like something you'd like to learn how to do, then check out the Lightroom Magic course!

Food Photography Resources

Please be aware that I earn a small commission from you for using my unique affiliate links at no additional cost to you.

I only recommend food photography resources I love and that have been helpful on my journey to becoming a food and product photographer.

Artificial Academy Course by Joanie Simon, mentioned above

Lightroom Magic Course by Rachel Korinek, mentioned above

Gastrostoria Resources by Darina Kopkok, mentioned above

Food Photography Mentorship with Shelly Waldman

Who is your hosting company?

Bigscoots is my hosting company. They offer the fastest Managed WordPress Hosting Plans and outstanding customer service. I have never had to wait longer than a few minutes to get a friendly response whenever I have a question. I recommend them highly! Their migration service went smoothly and without a hitch.

How did you start the website and what plugins do you use?

As a member of Food Blogger Pro, I created my self-hosted WordPress site (WordPress.org) step by step with their helpful videos. They have a wonderful and supportive community with valuable information on how to start a website.

I selected my WordPress theme through Feast Design Co. Their minimal blog designs are perfect for food bloggers.

I use a recipe plugin called WP Recipe Maker, Premium version, and I find their support to be responsive and excellent.

To make my website run faster, I have WP Rocket for caching.

For social sharing including Pinterest, I utilize a WordPress plugin called Grow by Mediavine. I love it for its customizable options for social sharing buttons as well as Pinterest.

Is there anything else you would like to know? Send me a message at emily (at) resplendentkitchen (dot) com.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links. I only link to products and services that I highly recommend, personally use and trust. There is no additional cost to you if you purchase something through one of these links. Please let me know if you have any questions about anything mentioned above.