Cold Weather and Chicken and Waffles

The weather in Chicago has been down right frigid with snow and high winds throughout the week. To combat the cold we decided to photograph some Southern country cooking to help warm us up.

Our inspiration for this shoot originally came from Lay's chicken and waffle potato chips. Kevin, Debbie and I had never had the real thing, so we decided that we would try our own spin on the southern inspired recipe. Instead of a bone in chicken breast, we opted for a boneless breast, creating a chicken and waffle sandwich.

The look we were trying to accomplish was a rustic and inviting feel. We used cool blues and white colors to accent the warm yellows and oranges of the chicken, waffles, and honey.

Our food stylist deep-fried the chicken and carefully poured batter into the waffle iron, making sure to keep the size of the waffles in proportion to the chicken.

The above image is a stand-in so Kevin could begin to adjust the light. It is important to capture the texture of the chicken and the ridges of the waffles.

The perfect amount of honey on the chicken adds a sweet bite to the meal and creates a nice shine to the chicken.

Photographer: Kevin Ramos
Food Stylist: Lisa Bishop

After the light has been tweaked and the food adjusted, it is time for the final shot. A sprinkle of powdered sugar compliments the white throughout the image, and a pour of the honey helps add movement and action.

After the photo was shot, a slight adjustment was made to the saturation and contrast in photoshop, helping provide a grittier and sharper look to the final image.