Hi there, my name is Summer and I love to eat, cook, and ride my bike on beautiful sunny days. I currently live in Brooklyn, but some other places I hold near and dear to my heart are the blustery & cold city of Chicago and the great state of Texas (but mostly Austin, since that's where I spent my formative college years). So I guess my food "style" comes from a mix of the places I have lived as well as my family's culture. To wit: Breakfast tacos are by far the most superior breakfast food item, especially if it contains chorizo. I will always strive to recreate some of my favorite dishes from the best restaurant in Chicago, Longman & Eagle. And dim-sum chicken feet are one of my favorite foods, though I have yet to make them myself.
I am by no means a vegetarian or pescetarian, but I try not to eat meat too often. I love veggies, but rarely eat fruit unless it's baked into something. So here you'll find an eclectic mix of recipes based on things I like to eat and oftentimes vegetarian versions of them.
What does O&O stand for?
Well, call me a crazy cat lady, but they are the names of the two loves of my life, Dr. Oppenheimer, the destroyer of worlds, and Olivia with her beautiful blues. Their photos are below!
What camera and editing software do you use?
Currently I use a Nikon d810 with a Zeiss 50mm f/2 lens. Sometimes if I need wide angle shots, I bust out my Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, but it's a heavy beast that makes my arms wiggly during long photoshoots. Prior to January 2015, I was using a Nikon d90. I use Lightroom and VSCO to edit.
How do you get your photos to look like that?
A lot of obsessing over dumb things, but also studying the photos of bloggers who I like. If I had to summarize what's most important in food photography in two bullet points, it would be:
Lighting. For example, I have two windows in my kitchen, I use blackout curtains on one of them and sheer curtains on the other in order to manipulate the light to my liking. This allows me to create stronger or lighter shadows, more depth or a more washed out look depending on what my subject matter is.
Taking the time to make your food actually look good. As in, if you accidentally over bake a cake, don't settle for photos of dry, burnt cake (we can all tell), remake it.
Where do you get your plates/serveware/other styling props?
I get most of my plates, bowls, and random serving spatulas from a vintage consignment store in my neighborhood or Anthropologie. Most of my linens are from Fog Linen or Restoration Hardware. If you would like details about something specific, leave a comment on the post or shoot me an email.
Can I reprint your photos and/or recipes?
Please ask for permission first. Generally I am more than happy for you to take one photo with a link back to the original post. You may not use the photo if you are using it to misrepresent another recipe or for commercial purposes. If you would like to reprint more than one photo or the recipe, please contact me for rates.
Can I send you free samples/a book for you to review?
No. I do not accept free swag in exchange for free blog posts.
Would you be interested in doing a sponsored post/partnership?
I am not actively taking sponsorships at this time. If you represent a product which you think would fit in well here (especially if it's something you have already seen me using), please contact me via email and we can talk about collaborating at a future date.
If you have any other questions that aren't here or if you would just like to chat, please send me an email! You can also find me on most major social media platforms.