My favorite spot to stage a scene for a photoshoot at home is on our outdoor deck. We have a covered area that helps me control the amount of light, so I can shoot at any time of day and create dark and moody or light and airy images. But of course, I prefer golden hour no matter what the subject. This big bowl of comforting pasta looks even more delicious in side light on a dark linen background.
My go to refreshing drink in the summer has always been sangria, and last year I discovered white sangria and I'm a convert. Red wine sangria has almost a puckering effect especially if you use a red wine on the dry side. Even chilled and over ice it can't hold a candle to the thirst quenching white wine version. I modified the recipe to cut the sweetness and added plain brandy instead of apricot, but did add the peach schnapps, and used only citrus fruits rather than berries. Perfectly refreshing and just enough sweetness.
This big bowl of italian style pasta eats like a salad but is way more filling because of the added carbs. I substituted in turkey pepperoni and kalamata olives to give it a mediterranean flavor and I made enough to have lots of leftovers. It's probably good hot or cold, but I love it chilled for a few hours in the refrigerator so the dressing can infuse the ingredients.
I used a store-bought italian dressing that's one of my favorites, but for the photograph I put it in a small pitcher and topped it with a teaspoon of rosemary. I often like to make my own fresh dressing with just the simplest olive oil and vinegars, but I'm also a fan of doctoring up a store bought item. I keep a dish of shredded parmesan on the side of all my meals, and since this "eats like a salad" I thought about adding croutons, but decided to forego the extra carbs. The final plate was too pretty not to photograph.