Professional vs amateur: food photos for Kelly's Creative Kids in the Kitchen

Sometimes I wonder what would my blog recipe photos look like, when done by a professional photographer and a food stylist. Recently I had a chance to find out exactly how it might look. Earlier this year, my guys and I were invited to take part in Kelly's Creative Kids in the Kitchen challenge. My younger son Eddie and I had fun, creating a twist on a classic Eton Mess with Kelly's ice cream, meringues and berries as well as Colin's butterflies (M&S sweets from Percy Pig range) and Jelly Bellies, and called it Eddie's Mess.

To be honest, I thought it was just great fun and not much of a recipe. Yet lovely people at Kelly's have seriously considered our recipe suggestion, and our simple playful kiddie-created recipe has reached the final stages of Kelly's Creative Kids in the Kitchen competition.
Moreover, a professional photographer took photos of Eddie's Mess. Many thanks to Kate Whitaker for doing s super job! Kelly's of Cornwall have given me permission to reproduce the official photos on my blog. The image below shows Eddie's Mess decorated with sweets.

Photo by Kate Whitaker (reproduced with kind permission from Kelly's of Cornwall)

As Kelly's feel that the recipe without sweets would represent the brand better, they have also asked Kate to take a photo without sweets.

The images look uncluttered, light and elegant.
For me it's always a problem to find a clear space in the house, with a good light. Our house is quite dark inside. I tend to take most of my photos out in the garden, weather permitting.
And if I'm taking photos in the kitchen, I usually use curtain samples as drapes over my numerous jars and boxes, so as not to distract from the food I am taking photo of.

My photo

We are very fond of Kelly's of Cornwall ice cream. Every summer, when we stay for a week in Cornwall, we enjoy eating it outdoors in a seaside cafe.

Having an ice cream cone by the sea is the best treat of all. And then we try to keep our summer alive by eating Kelly's of Cornwall ice cream from a tub at home. It is perfect with hot crumbles and apple pies.
The sight of Kelly's brand umbrella never ceases to work its magic, we just love Kelly's ice cream.