A Food Photography Lesson in Girl Scout Cookies
It’s in the air, all over the neighborhood and in front of grocery stores. Tis’ the season of Girl Scout cookies and this year, I swore that I’d only give in to buying one box, or two at the most.
Over the last few years, there was a bright neon flashing sign on my forehead signaling that I was a “sucker” and could be coaxed into buying 10 boxes. For a savory and spicy girl who doesn’t have a sweet tooth, I somehow always got persuaded to buy about 10 boxes of cookies. Most of which we never ate and were shared with friends and family. Yes, I was the customer who walked away with about 10 boxes of thin mints, samoas and peanut butter sandwiches.
My weakness lies in the little girls who tell me that all the cookies taste great and that they need the funds for camping trips or for events to help benefit their troop. It’s hard to deny their cute little hair bows and green uniforms and their pitch to help them become smarter and stronger girls. I’m all about supporting little girls and at $4 a pop, I figured 10 boxes really only ends up being $40 going to a great cause.
But this year, I decided that one or two boxes would be plenty and if I wanted, I could easily write a check to contribute to their camping funds. That resolution didn’t last long and I already wasn’t able to keep to my goal of 2 boxes. Instead, I got suckered into buying 4 boxes: peanut butter patties, samoas and mango cremes (because the little girl told me that was her favorite). Oy, I bought a box not because I liked to eat it, but because the salesgirl loved them. I’m such a pushover! At least it wasn’t 10 boxes.
Now, what to do with all these cookies? Luckily we had a photography workshop this weekend, so I decided to use some of these as props. Todd and I shot and styled the samoas in two different ways, to show how you can take a subject and show two totally different moods, voices and stories.
One concept was styled in a dark, moody feel. Something to convey all the rich tones and rustic textures that make a subject look beautiful with strong contrasts and highlights and shadows.
The other concept was styled in a simple, clean and light style. The mood here was to show how you can take a subject, with minimal props and still be able to showcase their beauty in a clean, light and minimalistic vision.
So, I had a few lessons in Girl Scout Cookies. We made the most out of these cookies in both eating, sharing and photographing. Nothing went to waste and now I have a reason to buy even more different kinds next year because I can use them in our workshops. That’s a very valid excuse to get back to buying my 10 boxes for next year!
Support the Girl Scouts!
diane
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I love the pictures and just want to reach into the monitor and grab a couple. What a great lesson in photography. I don’t know what “story” each picture was trying to convey. But the way I saw it, the first one is of a trip to Grandma’s house where she put out the cookies out for her visiting grandkids to enjoy. The dark moody tone depicts an environment that is low-key, usually quiet. And the displayed cookies give a warm, inviting welcoming feeling. In the second picture, I sense a more lightheartedness about it. I picture a warm get-together on a sunny spring day in a backyard..friends and families having a good time, catching up, enjoying some good food. I don’t know anything about photography yet, but those are the stories that I got out of the two different pictures.
Send the next troop you see to my house in Chicago! I don’t know where they all are this year but it’s not on my street. I’m waiting for the doorbell to ring with my cash in hand. Your photos are doing little to ease my craving 😉
Samoas are the best! Loved the support you guys have extended by highlighting the importance of supporting such efforts.
I would have loved to attend such workshops where samoas showcased as “props”! 🙂
yadonegood!!!
we had company when the girl scout and her wagon came knockin…..needless to say, she was happy to have stopped by….we all bought lots of yummy cookies. keep up the good work!!!
Mmmm Samoas are my favorite 🙂
Love both of these photos. What a great idea to use GS cookies as props for your workshop, I bet it was a hit with those who attended! Samoas are by far my favorites.
My roommates boyfriend left an unopened box of thin mints in our freezer… Needless to say, they were gone by the end of the day.
What are mango cremes?
They are delicious, but I can’t be trusted with them in the house, they’re so much worse for you than a homemade cookie, and the troops only get a small percentage of the sales. I walk up to the table, say “I don’t need any cookies, but these are for your troop.” and hand them $5, which is more than they’d get from however many boxes of cookies I’d buy.
Those cookies are the BEST! I always end up buying a few boxes.
Can’t believe they are now $4. 16 years ago they were $1.75 and that was when my daughter sold 106 boxes. I just ran across that in a scrapbook;can’t believe I wrote it down. I bet the girl scouts would be thrilled with your photos.
just bought my first box of thin mints this weekend. love the girl scouts.
LOL!! Even my son was “suckered” into buying Girl Scout Cookies… came home the other night with a bag full! His excuse” Aw Mom, they take credit cards – how could I say no!”
Beautiful lesson in styling!!!
Samoas never looked so good! They’re my second favorite…close behind Thin Mints.