Alton Brown's new cookbook shot on iPhone


All photo in Alton Brown's new cookbook EveryDayCook has 100 or so recipes and each recipe has a photo that was shot on an iPhone. In a podcast, Brown and his photographer discussed a bit about the choice and process.

Brown said they recognize how Instagram has influenced food as people take and share photos of their meals using mobile devices. Brown said they wanted to have photos that weren't artificially professional and use tools that everyone has. The photos were shot on an iPhone 6s Plus and also used stage lightning.

In addition, all photos were shot with a single overhead point of view. The mobile camera and shot angle posed challenges to keep photos unique and visually appealing. They said they dealt with that challenge in photo composition. Rather than plating on conventional place settings, food was presented in unique and sometimes thematic settings, such as a salsa in a hubcap. Also dishes were shown in various stages of eating.

While using a mobile device offered challenges, there seemed to be some advantages. It sounded like they took a shot from inside a microwave, which probably wouldn't be possible with a DSLR.

The photos were taken over three weeks last winter. They lamented the new iPhone 7 Plus cameras and wished they had access to the newest camera tech, but still seem pleased with the product.

EveryDayCook hit bookstores last week.