We often see the final image or read a finished book, but we rarely see the “ghosts” or ” the almost did not happen stage ” that live inside a finished piece of work.
This week, I wanted to open the vault and share a few secrets tucked away in some of my work. These changed the way I saw the projects entirely.
Masterpiece Photo
The dish above, “Callaloo, Meat, Beans and Dumplings,” is one of my best-selling photographs, and it almost did not become a masterpiece. I was fine with the dish without that scrumptious piece of meat that you see on the plate. All credit to my mom: when I was planning the dish, she said, “It sounds like it could really do with a small piece of stewed meat.” We are not big meat eaters, but she had a point. The rest is history, as it were.
The photo has been downloaded many times, and the dish found its way into my most recent book. Yes, if you love cooking or you want to try making a favorite Caribbean traditional dish. Download a copy of my third book available here on the site as a PDF at https://imagefingerprint.com/product/seven-short-tales-and-my-favorite-food-photos-the-recipe-companion-recipes-inspired-by-the-meals-from-the-original-book-by-anderson-mc-bain/
I took the shot using my cellphone. From what I can remember, I used natural light as I was always trying to get my shooting done before the light faded. Mom always complained, and rightfully so, that our meals were sometimes late because I got carried away taking photos. So I would make sure she got her meal, then take a thousand shots of my plate.
I Almost Deleted The Story
The same goes for writing. There are chapters that I get good feedback on, but guess what, one in particular almost did not make it into my first book. I wrote a story entitled “You Hold the Chicken,” and it is a fantastic story, and every word is true, and again, yes, I lived it. Some people tell me the story is funny, and some say it would make a good cartoon feature.
I wrote and rewrote, said yes, then no, and finally, I decided to include the story because it was one of my encounters with food (a chicken) that was a really close call. All be it funny.
You can also grab a copy of this story right here on the site at https://imagefingerprint.com/product/seven-short-tales-based-on-true-events-my-favorite-food-photos-by-anderson-mc-bain/
Want to see these details for yourself?
So next time you are working on a project, think twice before concluding that it is no good. You may just have a winner on your hands.
Feel free to browse the site and the full gallery (which is a work in progress) or just pick up your copy of any of my books, and do let me know what you think. Happy reading.
See you in the next blog.