Tastespotting: Dishing on the Rejection

Me, not at my finest.

Hi friends. I've had something brewing for a while. A frustration that is driving me dangerously close to insanity. It's called "Tastespotting Rejection".

Thousands of Foodies struggle every year with this complication. It's due to hard work and pride over your photography being rejected over and over again by the review board over at Tastespotting.com.

Some of you maybe asking, what is Tastespotting? Its a site where you can submit your photographs (or other's, but who wants to do that?) of all your luscious food photography, that you feel is your best. You send it in and wait. Wait for days...until you get an email that tells you nothing (maybe mine never says anything because I haven't made it yet) and you click the link to go to your profile. Under your profile you can see how many posts you have up. My obviously still says "0" and I'm starting to feel a twinge of bitterness. I don't even know what to tell what happens if you do get in.

I've sent in 16 photos. Fourteen have been rejected. Two are still waiting to be reviewed. Now, just you wait, I will post this and then get in. That wasn't my plan, but it just might work. (mechanical laughter, wringing of hands)

I feel like what I've sent is had been really good. I mean, I will say, my photos don't have the "bokeh" (cool fuzzy focus in the background), but I feel that they are as good as a lot of the photos that get on there. They will shoot down one of my photos, saying that they don't usually use photos of just ingredients, then I look at the page and see 2 or 3 on there of just ingredients. Or they don't like hands in the pictures and there is a photo up right now with someone holding a sandwich in their hand. wah,wah. These are the particular photos I am referring to. That was the only complaint on these photos, so I'm assuming the lighting and sharpness were good. So frustrating!

I know, we all think we have the best pictures. Ours rock and should be in a gallery. There is always room for improvement, but I feel like this Tastespotting is feeding my issues with perfectionism...the very thing my therapist urges me not to give into. It does however, make you rethink your stuff, find ways to make it better or be more creative, but without trying too hard. That's tricky.

One of my most difficult obstacles is time. For me, the food I photograph is the food we eat for dinner. It's going to the table of hungry, crabby kids and hubby in 2.5 seconds. So much of the time, I'm rushing. Rushing to get that perfect shot. It can look good on the LCD but much of the time when I view it on my computer I see it was out of focus or just plain bad. So for every 20 shots, I may get 3 I really like. Since the time issue probably won't change a new SLR would help considerably.

this wasn't sharp or bright enough.

So, this rejection has lit a photo fire under me. The hubs is looking to put it out (not really), because now I'm begging him for a SLR. Oh boy. He quietly nods his head as I ramble on and on about features, photos I could take and all the pros and none of the cons of owning a SLR (preferably Canon and I mean, are there really any cons?) Hint dropping seems to be falling on plugged ears. That's okay, I'm not giving up. On Tastespotting or the camera.

This was rejected for "composition". Can someone help me with that? I'm assuming it's how you put a picture together. How else do you compose chocolate cake and ganache?

My point and shoot is great for what it is. It takes great photos...for a P&S (Canon Powershot). I mean, if you put it on Macro setting and use natural light, it does a pretty darn good job. The problem for me, is that I'm stuck with that. I can't do much more. I don't have the ability to manually fiddle with the lens. So I dream up ideas, then I can't make them happen because I am handicapped by this very reliable, but not very creative camera.

Is it stupid for me to want to get on Tastespotting so bad? I mean, I feel like it's the Mercedes of food photos and I want to be on there! I know I've got what it takes. I think my photos are good. I do see though, on some of the photos their reasons for not choosing me (I mean, at least they tell you WHY, so that's good). I said some. Others I don't get it. But on some where it was lighting, or not sharp enough, I agree and I've set out to work very hard on those things to make better photos. I want to excel in this, not stay stagnant. I want to grow.

not sharp.

If you made it to this paragraph, I commend you. True Foodie Friend. Who else should I whine to other than my trusty Foodie Friends. Certainly you have endured the agony of Tastespotting. If not, why not try? Doesn't it sound so fun?

This is what I want to know. If you've submitted, have you been shot down? If not, what's your secret to getting on? Wait, that sounded dumb. It's called having good pictures. But anyways, if you have tips, ideas, camera you love etc. Please do share. Let me know I am not alone in this quest for Tastespotting acceptance.