Dig In, a photo from Delaware, South

Photographer's Note

The Cheseapeake Bay region - Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia - is the best place in the United States to find and eat saltwater crab. The art of a meal of fresh crab is complicated, messy, and delicious; the crab must be de-shelled, which is a multi-stage process, and the meat separated from the innards of the crab itself. The mallet you see there is for breaking the often tough shells of the claws. The brown powder you see on the crabs and in the dish in front is Old Bay seasoning. Old Bay is a commonplace spice in the area, and among its more devout followers might be added to almost any food.

The presentation here is a typical crab meal. With newspaper spread out and beer in abundance, crabs are dumped in the center of the table, and grabbing them can be a free for all. Each one contains only a small amount of edible meat, so it's very easy to go through eight or nine or more in a sitting.

As an aside, the start of the school year has sapped my energy and free time, and I haven't been commenting on as many photos as I'd like - hopefully I can pick back up soon!

krzychu30, fabbs99, SnapRJW, ktanska, No_One, delpeoples, jester5, tyro, marabu61 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mauro61 (53429) 2012-09-27 8:42

ciao Andrew,
molto particolare la presentazione di questa tavola con il giornale aperto e il cibo sopra.
Bello vedere certe tipiche abitudini gastronomiche... ehehehe...
saluti
maurizio

lousat (139906) 2012-09-27 8:50

Hi Andrew,i like a lot the crab taste and this is a great gift to tme,magnificent idea for a very nice and original pic and excellente details and colors despite the difficult light.Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

mjw364 (1466) 2012-09-27 9:22

Andrew this is a colourful image! It brought back memories for me. I love sea food and had ceviche at Gladstones on the Pacific Coast Highway, CA which was great and oyster shooters which I had at the end of Santa Barbara pier - an oyster in vodka with a spicy tomato sauce in a glass which you knock back in one go! I loved those!

Thanks for the memories!

Mike

krzychu30 (15512) 2012-09-27 9:37

Hello Andrew,
the picture is so "delicious".I love all kinds of fish and seafood and the way you present us the scene appeals to me.The newspaper,the mallet and different spices and drinks.All these components make your composition successful.The scene is well composed.IIt has excellent sharpness,lighting and well captured natural colors.
Best regards
Krzysztof

fabbs99 (17179) 2012-09-27 10:49

Hi Andrew
Nice shot of the remains of the crab and other stuff on the table.Interesting subject to shoot.I like the colors in the frame as well as the sharpness.Good work and well done.TFS.

Best Regards
Farhat

SnapRJW (31631) 2012-09-27 10:54

Yummy Andrew - This looks so appetising and I love the newspaper tablecloth; it is an invitation to get down and dirty with the food. Wonderful shot that captures the pleasure of eating without constraint. Warm regards rosemary

ktanska (45018) 2012-09-27 11:36

Hi Andrew,
Great to see those delicacies as not too fancy gourmet. Fresh from local supplier I guess! Exact focus and good natural light. I just wish you'd included the beer bottle better within the frame.
Kari

Miguel82 (47110) 2012-09-27 12:52

Andrew,
How are you?
This is a so nice presentation
Crab is so good to eat...
I like to see the little hammer you've included here
Sharp picture, excellent colors and light
Have a good day Miguel

No_One (4) 2012-09-28 1:44

Hi Andrew,
A great foodie capture without a doubt! You really have caught the essence of this meal, and teh explanation in your note fills in the gaps in my mind perfectly. I have to admit, I would not even consider eating this meal myself, as the mere look of the crabs sends shivers down my spine. A great capture though, thanks for sharing.
All the best
NOel

delpeoples (60342) 2012-09-28 2:54

Gidday Andrew

As I'm viewing this, it's nearly 8pm on a Friday night - and I haven't eaten yet. And you upload this gastronomic extravaganza! Ahhhh. But what a beaut shot, superbly coloured, with good light management and excellent definition. I hope they tasted as good as they look. Wow, now I'm drooling!

Thanks for sharing
Lisa

tyro (30513) 2012-09-28 11:58

Hi Andrew,

I looked at this one before I had my dinner and was very impressed - and now I look at it after I've had a good feed, I stll love it - and could certainly appreciate this sort of food - it looks so deliciously tempting! Quite down to basics too, with lots of bottles of beer and a big hammer instead of a delicate knife and fork!

Again, the lighting is excellent - you could so easily have "flattened" this picture and made it totally boring by using flash - the colours, especially of those juicy crabs, are wonderfully vibrant, your exposure is spot-on and the narrow depth of field (because of your wide aperture) makes the crabs really stand out against their surroundings.

And I just love the fact that this meal is served on newspaper too: we used to buy fish and chips in Britain wrapped in newspaper (some people believed that the newsprint gave added flavour) until the bloody "Health and Safety" league banned the practice.

Lovely!

Kind Regards,

John.

marabu61 (11587) 2012-09-28 14:42

Hello Andrew
Oh, how I love crabs and the cuisine around Chesapeake bay. Looking at your picture I am like Pavlov's dog and start drooling right away.
Your picture reminds me of the way crayfish are eaten in Scandinavia, from where my wife is from. There you wash down every single crayfish with a vodka.
Thanks for bringing back so much fond memories.
have a good weekend
Daniel

abmdsudi (95869) 2012-09-30 1:50

Hi Andrew
What a yummy picture my fav!
You have framed this really well plus all the 'everything' there. Super image, so sharp with the splash of vivid colors yet looks so natural. Closeness and focus is most impressive, so absorbing image and the scrummy crabs oh my God, what else can I say but simply the best. Great capture. Congrats, TFS
Best regards

COSTANTINO (117652) 2012-10-08 11:08

Hello
this shot is not only a simple shot
it is a magnificent idea to present
food ready for eating,
I can touch them,it is a real capture
this scenery is verywellcomposed
regards
Costantino