Recipe

Posting Recipes And Taking Pics Recipe

Add Step-by-Step Photos	Thegoldminer / All my dishes 3 months, 2 weeks ago Several foodies have asked about taking and posting pics of food. Any digital camera will work and 6 megapixels is all anyone needs for food or general photograpy. Here is how I take and post pics and beat the timeout problem putting the recipe text on the site.... More Prep:60m Cook:20m Servings:1	Thegoldmine
	step by step directions

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Ingredients

I always use flash and I try to be at least 2 feet from the object. I use a Cannon Rebel with a 18-200 zoom lens. I like to zoom in, press the shutter button down half way to lock the focus then zoom out and frame my shot. I adjust my pics using Adobe Photoshop and I will give instructions relating to that program. Any program you use should allow you to size your pic and adjust the level or brightness. If I am not clear on any point or have a spelling error please advise me in a message. Thanks JJ> The main and step by step pic is from a foodie. It was adjusted as in the main pic to a more life like color.

Directions

To begin, under My Documents a Cooking folder (JJ's Recipes) for recipes and one for Cooking pics (Cooking Photos). I list each category Baking, Beef, etc. Then under each heading I list each type of dish, Baking>Lemon Cheese Cake, etc. I also create a folder under Cheese Cake, “Reduced” so each recipe has two folders. I have a 3.5 inch external hard drive that I have all my pics stored on as I use both my desk top computer and laptop. With the external hard drive I can work on the pics in my office or in my recliner.

The reason for two folders is you don’t want adjust your original pics, they are sacred. Keep it that way. I open Windows Explorer to see my pics on the camera card. Then I copy and paste all pics to each folder in Windows Explorer.

Now open your photo software. Open your “Reduced” pics folder, highlight and open all the pics. Using Photoshop first click on “Image”, then “adjustments” then levels. At levels you will see a graph with triangles at the bottom. Make sure the right white triangle is dragged to the first point of the black graph. Then move the middle triangle to the left to lighten the pic.

Maybe the most important thing is sizing. Once adjusted, click on “Image” then “Image Size”. The “Image Size window offers two options, Pixel Dimensions or Document Size. Use Document Size. There is width, height, resolution and another box at the bottom, “constrain proportions”, make sure it is checked. I size all pics either 7x5(horizontal) or 5x7(vertical) and most important Resolution is 100.

When sizing, raw pics may be 17 inches in width and I just type in 7 and and height is automatically put in. Then enter 100 for resolution and the pic is almost ready. Do all the pics this way.

Go back to Windows Explorer and open the reduced pics with thumbnails. All the pics are now shown. Pic your main pic, put the cursor on the pic and left click. It is now highlighted. Press F2 and the cursor is now in the pic name. Back space and enter #1 The Ingredients (example). Delete all spaces but leave the pic number. Example of how the name should look : #1 The Ingredients 3348.jpeg is now the pic title. Do this for each pic you want to post. Numbering and labeling makes it real easy when you are ready to post. If you get a message you may lose the pic, you have enter something wrong on the pic. Click no and redo the naming.

As you number and name each pic you may find you are jumping around in the pics. To keep them in order, after naming about 4 pics, click back on the mail recipe folder then back to Reduced. Now the numbered pics are in order and ready for posting.

Because the grouprecipe site can time you out, put all your text work in “Word” docs under your Cooking file file, I call my JJ's recipes. The first thing I do is adjust the “Page Setup”. All margins are set to .5. First do the Brief Description, then Ingredients, then Directions. Now all you have to do is have the document open, go to Submit Grub, and start filling in the boxes. When you get to Brief Description, go back to the Word, copy, then go back to the site and paste. Timing out is not a problem now. Finish copying and pasting Ingredients and Directions. Now you can do the main pic. Browse the Explorer reduced pic file and there it is #1 pic. Open and now the recipe is ready to Submit. Once submitted, click on step by step and you can now browse the reduced file and start picking the pics by the number.

Although there are 7 spots to upload step by step pics, only use the first 6, I have never found the 7th to load.

I have had many ask how to delete a pic. In the main pic so far I only know it can be replaced. In the step by step pics I can replace but not delete and in a group discussion others want the option to delete pics. They have asked Kris to make it possible but so far it has not happened. Hopefully soon, it is a definite issue here.

That’s it. It may seem complicated, but once you go through the steps it will all be logical and be a very easy way to list and post recipes and pics. No timing out.

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Comments

peetabear 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Great camera and photography help as alway JJ.. thank you for taking the time to post this for all of us..

magali777 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Thanks, this is very useful!

sgeb59 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
This is wonderful, I have been asking around for help so I too could post pictures Thanks...

thegoldminer 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
No problem, just took me a while to put down the text of what I do as a habit. Glad to help. Always here for anyone for help. If you want a pic adjusted, send to email4jj@yahoo.com. Send the raw pic if possibl. Message me here you have sent a pic.

chefmeow 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
I needed this info as well, thank you so much. By the way, that is one beautiful cat. I love kitties.

frankieanne 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
This is great. I think you should add it as a recipe in the Suggestions Group. Thank you!

rml 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Thank You!!!!

thegoldminer 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
OK I will add it to Suggestions Group. JJ

lunasea 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Great advice, JJ - you rock! And thank you...
~Vickie

wynnebaer 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Fantastic info....Very thoughtful of you to post this....Thank you....:)

hollymayb 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
I just use my camera phone (Motorola PEBL) and then transfer the pic by bluetooth to my computer, and upload to the site. If you don't have bluetooth, you could use a data cable. Takes all of 30 seconds, but then again, my pics are not as nice as yours. Good information.

thegoldminer 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Yea I am per my bio pretty much a perfectionist. My way takes longer and I get the results that I am after. I am just glad anyone will take a pic of their recipe and post it rather than nothing. I like to see what I am going to make. It is all good. JJ

danadooley 3 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Wow so much effort! Thanks for the heads up. Great stuff!

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