FAQ
About TFP
Are you fat?
I’m not fat, I’m not thin. I’m pretty unremarkable. :)
Why aren’t there any pictures of Jac on the site?
Jac’s asked me not to any publish images of her online for privacy reasons.
Do you really have a PhD? What did you do your PhD in?
Yes, I have a PhD in literature.
Are you a woman? Is your partner Jac a woman?
Yes, I am a woman and so is Jac.
How long have you and Jac been together?
We will celebrate our 15th anniversary in May 2012.
Where is your family from?
My family is Chinese-Malaysian. I was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My family migrated to Australia when I was ten years old. I would describe myself as an Australian of Chinese-Malaysian descent.
The food
Can I have the recipe for [insert dish name here]?
This is not a recipe blog. I will not always have recipes for dishes featured here. My posts often include a rough description of how dishes were prepared without precise measurements or a recipe as such. If I have the recipe for any dish or meal, I will definitely post it at my recipes page. If I don’t post the recipe, please assume that there isn’t one to share and please don’t keep asking!
What is [insert food term]?
Try searching for it at Google.
The site
Can I link to you? Will you link to me?
I don’t do link exchanges. I do not have a blogroll. If you wish to link to my site, it is entirely your choice to do so. Please don’t email me asking to exchange links.
I left a comment but it hasn’t appeared – what happened to it?
I moderate all comments. During the day while I’m at work, I will only moderate comments during designated breaks. If I get busy and don’t get the chance, I will moderate comments on my way home using my mobile, or as soon as I get home. If your comment is spammy, trolling, abusive, obscene and/or offensive, I will probably delete it.
What blogging software and theme do you use?
I use WordPress with the Thesis theme
Read why I recommend the Thesis theme for WordPress
The photos
What camera do you use?
Posts 2005 to 26 August 2007 – Canon Ixus V (my very first digital camera)
Posts 27 August 2007 to 9 August 2010 – Panasonic Lumix TZ3
Posts 10 August 2010 onwards – Panasonic Lumix G2 (my current camera)
Read my review of the Panasonic Lumix G2 camera
Do you use PhotoShop to edit your photos?
I used to use PhotoShop but since March 2011 have used Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 to crop and adjust brightness/contrast and colour balance settings on photos that were taken in less than ideal lighting conditions.
Any tips for an aspiring food blogger?
How do I take better food photos?
Do you use particular camera settings to take your photos?
I’m no expert photographer, but the following things work for me:
- Make sure the subject of your photo (the food) is in focus. I cannot stress how important this is – blurry pictures do not make good food porn!
- Take photos using natural light if possible rather than the camera flash.
- If you have a macro setting on your camera (usually represented by a tulip or flower icon), you should use it when taking close-ups of food. This will really help with the focus issue.
- Learn to keep your hands really still when taking photos.
Note: some digital cameras include a “food” mode. I’ve never used this feature on my camera so I can’t comment on how effective it is.
Contacting The Food Pornographer
Why haven’t you replied to my email?
I appreciate all the emails I receive from readers. Unfortunately, due to volume of email I receive I cannot always respond quickly to emails. It is not always possible for me to respond to all emails.
Do you accept advertising?
Please see my PR and advertising page.
How do I contact you about PR and marketing opportunities?
Please see my PR and advertising page.
How do I contact you?
Please see my Contact page.
How can I contact you for an interview?
Please see my Contact page.
For more information
PR events, reviews, invitations and advertising
TFP in the media
About The Food Pornographer
I'm TFP, a food blogger from Perth, Western Australia.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi tfp
Just wondering if you ask permission before taking photos in restaurants and if you’ve ever been threatened with legal action for stuff you have posted on your blog.
Wanting to start my own, but am a bit wary, given the litigation quagmire.
Thanks
Karen
Karen,
I’ve never asked permission. Most of the time staff appear not to notice I’m taking photos. When they have noticed, they haven’t appeared too concerned – no one has ever told me to stop taking photos. That said, I’m very discreet and take the photos very quickly. I suppose I look more like an enthusiastic tourist or a keen, nerdy food lover than a food critic (well, I am a keen, nerdy food lover, definitely not a food critic!). I write honestly about my dining experiences and I’m also fair and reasonable. I know that the owner of the restaurant could read the blog. Where I make negative comments I make it clear it’s based on my opinion and experience. For example, there are times when I don’t like a dish although there’s nothing wrong with it as such – if it’s a matter of personal taste, I will say so. If my experience is not great, I don’t tell people not to go to the restaurant; I will say that we wouldn’t go back ourselves. I let people make their own minds up. The funny thing is, there have been times where I’ve written negatively about a dining experience e.g. slow food service – but readers have liked the look of the food pictures so much they’ve told me they plan to visit the restaurant anyway to try the food. Prime example is my review of Alpine Restaurant. In that review I wrote negatively about the service, which we found unacceptably slow – but I also wrote about how delicious the food was – all true and very fair. If the owner read that I would think he/she would have to admit I was entirely reasonable in my comments.
Hey TFP, love your work! As a short time lurker and first time commenter (and at risk of covering some already chartered ground) how do we feel about charges for extras eg: pizza toppings, breakfast additions, etc, which I believe are totally justified; versus minuses eg: no mushrooms. When an addition may incur a $3.00 nominal charge, has anyone ever been offered a deduction when requesting sans particular menu item? Just curious….
Tickettyboo,
Apologies for not responding sooner. I rarely order something minus a particular item – it’s more common for me to order something extra! :) I don’t mind paying for extra items but I do get cross when we pay extra for mushrooms on a pizza and the mushrooms that are on the pizza are so finely chopped you can barely even taste them, and there’s a only a tiny amount – like 2 teaspoons worth! That definitely gets me cross!
Thanks for the blog TFP I’m a big fan, just wondering you don’t seem to give restaurants a rating, is there a reason?
Hi Sharon,
Cheers, glad you enjoy the blog.
My reviews aren’t comprehensive or definitive assessments of restaurants; they’re write-ups of my/our experiences dining out. I call them “reviews” because people treat them as such and google for reviews. I don’t go through a formal process like newspaper critics do i.e. dining at least twice at a restaurant before publishing a review – I just write about my own impressions and what I think. I don’t really want to go down the road of rating restaurants because then there’s that comparative aspect of restaurant A being better than restaurant B etc. and having to justify a low or high rating when people don’t agree. As it is, I get people sometimes being quite aggro when I’ve written about a pleasant experience at a restaurant where they’ve been and had a bad time. Rating restaurants can set up certain levels of expectation in readers/future diners that I ultimately probably do not want to be responsible for.
Hope that makes sense?
Thanks TFP, I love the intelligence of your answer and it makes perfect sense, I look forward to reading future posts :-)
Hi TFP!
Im a big fan of your blog. I follow your twitter and fb as well. at first my fd introduced me to your blog, I spent my entire afternoon reading through your blog instead of doing my study. Your blog has given me ‘inspirations’ where to eat this lunch or tonight. I also enjoy your writing style and pictures you have taken.
Keep it up!!!:)
Cheers, Rebecca.
Uh-oh hope my blog doesn’t distract you too much from your studies! :)
Glad to hear you enjoy it. Thanks for your comment!
Hi, I have just discovered your website and got so hooked I have spent my whole day off work reading through a great deal of your posts. You have a wonderfuly well writted, fun and friendly blog that makes me ravenous! I just wanted to say thank you and my tummy wants to say rumble.
Hi Kerrie,
My pleasure! Great to hear from your tummy too! :D
I stumbled upon your blog, and I have to say it is lovely for a plethora of reasons: (1) it is well-photographed and artsy, (2) you are witty, descriptive and droll and (3) your lovely bento-box lunches have helped me in my own quest to eat healthier (as well as encourage my patients to do so). Huzzah! Do keep up the good work.
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