FAQ

Oh hai! Here are a couple of common questions we get asked over and over again. If you’re curious about anything, feel free to ask!

Q: What theme do you use?
A: We use a custom WordPress theme that Mike designed specifically for I am a Food Blog. You can see past I am a Food Blog themes here & here, and here.

Q: Who is Steph?
A: Food and cute obsessed, recipe creator and tester, voice, and b-roll photographer, Mike’s one true love.

Q: Who is Mike?
A: The photography and lighting expert, chief taste-tester, Steph’s one true love.

Q: Who shoots the photos?
A: Mike, usually, but sometimes Steph will hop in :)

Q: Which lens do you use?
A: We switch between a 35mm 1.820mm 1.8, and 85mm 1.8.

Q: Do you shoot in natural light?
A: 98% of the photos are shot with artificial light. We have an SB500 and we LOVE it. The other 2%, the travel shots, are shot in natural light.

Q: Do you Instagram?
A: YES! You can follow us here.

Q: What’s your cooking style/food philosophy?
A: Steph – I like simple, delicious, honest food. Most of my recipes are straight-forward and don’t have fussy ingredients. That being said, LOVE combining different foods together. Some very I am a Food Blog recipes are: Crab Rangoon Deviled Eggs, Banh Mi Tacos, Okonomiyaki Burgers, and Mac and Cheese Pie. I use a lot of Asian flavors, partially due to nostalgia and partially because they are just so darn delicious.

A: Mike – trashy, drunk food that is obviously too messy to eat but you’re gonna do it anyway because it’s that good.

Q: Are you that girl that…?
A: Yup, I cooked, Mike photographed, and we ate through the entire Momofuku cookbook! It was a delicious ride. You can read all about our adventures at MM42.

Q: Can I use your images and recipes on my site?
A: We work really hard to provide unique content. All of the content and images are copyrighted, which means you need permission to use them. If you want to share a recipe please limit yourself to one image and link back to iamafoodblog.com or to the post directly. If you’d like to repost the recipe on your site, please re-write it so it’s in your own words. When in doubt, just send an email to ask. Thank you!

Q: How can I reach you?
A: You can contact us right here!

70 Comments

  1. Hannah says:

    I am a food blogger from Australia and am just very curious as to how you got such a huge following? Did the followers come right away, or did it take a long time? I LOVE your blog!! Also, are all the meals that you make your own dinners, lunches etc. or do you cook just to take photos and not eat the food?

    1. steph says:

      Hi Hannah,
      I’m not too sure how I got a following – in my eyes, I’m still a baby blog next to the giants of the food blog world. The followers did not come right away at all. And a BIG YES to eating ALL of the food that’s on the blog. I cannot fathom taking photos of the food and not eating it. That goes against every fibre of my food loving being. :)

  2. Polly Crowninshield says:

    How do I subscribe to this wonderful blog?
    I don’t do Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest etc…just email.

    1. steph says:

      Hi Polly,

      I’m working on setting up an email subscription – I’ll keep you updated!

      1. Tanya Duckworth says:

        Me too please!

  3. Marti says:

    Congratulations on your Saveur Editor’s Choice award, Stephanie!

    1. steph says:

      thank you, thank you marti!! xoxo

  4. Chris J says:

    You have gorgeous hair.

  5. Ray Gozun says:

    Congratulations on your Saveur award. I subscribe to the magazine and it’s how I was introduced to your endeavor. I don’t normally read blogs, but your site is quite magnetic. I like the simple recipes and the truly mouth-watering photos.

    I have 2 questions, if you don’t mind.

    1. What is your heritage/ancestry?

    2. I live in Seattle and visit my sister in Vancouver every now and then. Are there any restaurants you recommend?

    Regards and continued success to you.

    Ray

    1. steph says:

      1. i’m chinese.
      2. ooh, there are so many places i love in vancouver. i’ve been meaning to put up a post – i’ll do it soon!

  6. Evan Krefsky says:

    Love the blog. How can I get it emailed to me?

  7. Hi Steph

    I’m Ruby from Jakarta, Indonesia. Stumbled on your blog from Saveurs’ list. I am in awe with your beautiful photos. And to know that most of them are take with a simple SB600 flash is even more amazing. Do you mind to share a few scenarios on how you light your photos?

    Terima kasih (that’s thank you in Indonesian)

    1. steph says:

      hi ruby,

      thanks so much for the kind words! usually i bounce my flash off of a white surface, be it the wall or a piece of white poster board. i’m planning on doing an in depth post on photography soon though – probably with diagrams. :)

  8. Jaz says:

    Hi!
    I absolutely love your blog! I’ve recently started a food blog myself, I was just wondering if you have any tips to running a blog? Because to be honest I don’t really know what I’m doing haha, and also, how do you make the stamp things that you put on your photos? they’re so cool!

    1. steph says:

      hi jaz!

      ooh, i could write a whole blog with tips on running a blog. but to be honest, i’m no expert :) i say just do what you love. there are a ton of great blogging resources out there, much more eloquent than anything i could say. as for the stamps i create vector illustrations in illustrator and then apply them in photoshop. hope that helps!

  9. FRED says:

    Hi,

    I’m 17 and thinking of setting up a food blog for students. I was just wandering what blogging website you used to set yourself up and what methods you initially undertook in order to gain an audience??

    Love the look of the blog!!

    1. steph says:

      hi fred, my site is a wordpress site with a custom theme.

  10. Kerwin says:

    Do you have any favorite food blogs that you look at once in awhile?

  11. Stephanie! Thank you for setting up this FAQ. You are very kind for sharing your knowledge. New to blogging. I am just discovering my passions through my love of food and writing about it! Thank you for sharing these tips! Your information is priceless. Best of luck!

  12. Maureen Deeley says:

    I, too, would like to follow you on email. Hurry…

  13. Kirsty says:

    Hi! My name is Kirsty (Vancouverite :D) and I write http://www.eatingwithkirby.com. I was wondering.. how do you get the pretty white background and floors in your pictures? Is that a light box?

    Thanks!

    1. steph says:

      Hi Kirsty,

      I use as sheet of white cardboard and bounce the flash off of a wall. The paper is placed on a countertop or my dining table. Hope that helps!

  14. Vivian says:

    If you are Canadian, why are your give-aways only for US residents? This really BUGS me. GRRRR.

    1. steph says:

      Hi Vivian,

      The giveaways are sponsored by American companies and I have to comply with their giveaway rules. Canadian companies don’t seem to have the budget/interest for giveaways. It’s too bad, I’d love to do Canadian giveaways.

  15. Christen says:

    Just found your blog thru a local food magazine here in the Philippines:) can you do a post on kitchen’s must haves?

  16. cai says:

    I love that you have a each and unique name and name designing(logo) for each dish, Is the a software do that, or just you awesome creative mind?

  17. Amanda says:

    I just found your blog, and it is adorable! Can you make healthy lunches I can quickly make in the morning before school?

  18. vero says:

    Add me to your subscription too!

  19. Rachel says:

    Hey Stephanie!
    Holy moly love your stuff- but how the blinkn heck do I subscribe to receive your updated posts given that im an ol-fashioned gal who is not savy with stalkbook or wiki-twitter-chat or whatever those gosh-darn technobillies are into.
    Yes please, just good ol email updates for me if possible.
    cheers!!

  20. Ray Li says:

    Found your amazing site via : Table Hopping with Rosie. I’m an avid home cook and I love your pics, recipes, and inspiration! Keep up your great work. Thank you!

  21. Hi Stephanie,
    As a passionate cook I started to write my own stories on a blog about two months ago. I have to admit I selected yours amongst many others as a great source of inspiration. The way you present your recipes with these vibrant and oh so inviting photos, I’m still very impressed! Good to see how you inspire so many people to get back in their kitchens and to share meals with their friends and family, that’s really great!
    Wish you all the best, keep enjoying the good food!

    Charles

  22. Fran says:

    Please add me to your email subscription list! Thanks — I’m looking forward to seeing your recipes and pix on a regular basis!

  23. Carolyn says:

    I don’t see where to be added to your subscription list. Love your blog!

  24. shane says:

    I just discovered MM42 and love it, than by chance (and not by link on mm42) found this site.

    I love the recipes but your writing voice is fun and will bring me back to both sites.. (I am late to the party so I certainly hope you don’t plan on taking down MM42 any time soon).

    Thanks you rock

  25. Clarissa says:

    Suddenly in love with your blog, I just try to find food blog reference because I just started my own food blog, it was still new and look so ugly comparing to yours. But your blog inspired me to be a good food blogger. There are a lot of recipe I want to try from your blog. But i can’t find a follow me button in your blog, is it not exist or is it just me cannot find it? Thanks before.

  26. Craig says:

    Elegant looking blog. Great content with enticing recipes and very engaging photographs. As a newbie blogger but big foodie I’ll definitely be following. All the best.

  27. Natasha says:

    Hi Stephanie! I am a beauty blogger from |South Africa…and I do love food… especially the colours and tastes, but also the textures. And being Capetonian, I adore wines that pair well with various meals. I enjoy your blog, and may just share some of your recipes on my blog…because, well, your recipes are certainly styling!<3

  28. justine says:

    This is my favourite food blog

  29. Sinamon says:

    For this blog there are working different persons I guess. At least a graphic designer, a photographer, and obviously (I hope so) she. The caligraphy on the main banners are done in a very profesional way and you need a lot of typographic skills to do something like this in such a variety for each post. It seems to be an editorial project camouflated as a blog and I would prefer if they would be honest.

  30. Betty says:

    Interesting comment. Remember that post about sangria and injured boob? Yah, that was me. It was painful….pretty honest here.

  31. Amy Grossman says:

    How do I subscribe via email?

  32. Danae says:

    Hi there, just stumbled on your blog and I fell in love, I wanted to subscribe but couldn’t find the link to it, can you please subscribe me to your blog?

  33. darlene says:

    Wah, I am not social, do u use old fashioned email so I can follow u?

  34. Dillon says:

    What city/state are you located in? Aloha from Hawai’i!

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      i split my time between vancouver, canada; southern california; and japan. aloha!

  35. Nana says:

    How long did it take to write your book Easy Gourmet?

  36. JML says:

    WANT TO PRINT PLEASE!!! HOW??

  37. Hi Steph,

    Someone asked you about a year ago how you do your photography, I really admire your style so I was wondering if you ever wrote that post explaining it? You actually inspired me to start a blog of my own and I’ve been working on my photography with every post but I’m working with a difficult small kitchen so some shots feel limited. Looking for any tips and insight into what you do. Thanks!

  38. Ken says:

    I’m interested to know your lighting setup. Do you use any flash diffusers / umbrellas / softboxes?

  39. hamed says:

    Hi,
    I recently found your blog and I love it , very unique in many ways, photography, posts, designs and etc. anyway you probably hear these kind of things everyday, but it never is enough :) . I wanted to use your images in WordPress theme just as a restaurant demo, I will link back to you and i give all credits to iamfoodblog.com , i never resell or include the images, i just use theme to decorate the website, that’s it, do i have a permission to do that please?

    Delicious Regards!
    Hamed

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      hi hamed,
      thank you for asking but i don’t allow my photos to be used anywhere on the internet other than on my own website. please refrain from using them.

  40. Mandisa says:

    Hi Stephanie.
    What would you say was a turning point for you from a photography standpoint?
    And do you have any tips on food presentation/plating? I have no idea where to start

  41. Megan says:

    Hey there! This is a little bit of a random question, but do you have a snapchat that your readers can follow?

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      hey megan, my snapchat is @iamafoodblog :)

  42. Shahanara says:

    Hi from the UK Steph! :)

    I stumbled across your blog after finding your ‘What to Eat in Tokyo’ post on Pinterest (great post by the way!). I’ve really been enjoying reading the rest of your blog.
    I know you focus mainly on the subject of food in your posts, but I’m going to do the unfathomable now and ask you a non-food related question: Please could give me a little information about the time you moved to Tokyo and how you settled in over there? Moving to Japan is something that’s been on my mind lately, but I’m not sure where to start…

    P.S. Is there an easier way for me to read your posts and click on a tab to go onto the next post without having to go back to the main homepage?

  43. Kimberley says:

    Hi There! I love your blog. I’m new to blogging and i’m curious as to which recipe plugin you use? I’ve just been typing mine in the body of the post (I know, rookie mistake) but i want it to be easy to print, like yours are.
    Thanks and keep making cute stuff! :)

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      hey kimberley,
      i don’t use a plugin – my husband, mike codes it so that i just type it into the body of the post and then do markup on it using wordpress. sorry if that wasn’t too helpful!

  44. Sonia says:

    Hi Steph and Mike!
    I randomly came across your food blog and it is quite awesome!
    I am fascinated by your adorable dessert recipes! All the animal doughnuts and cakes are so adorable!
    I hope that you guys post more dessert recipes in the future (please do)
    I am wondering where you guys got the cute molds for the animals like in the bunny carrot cupcake loaf recipe or the lemon shortbread recipe.
    Thank you and please continue the amazing work!

    -Sonia

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      hi sonia,
      it’s a miffy cookie cutter – i got it in japan, but they sell it on amazon too, here’s the link: http://amzn.to/29zPF6Q
      -steph

  45. Janet says:

    Hello! I was wondering how you resize your images in post for your blog to retain the max quality? Exporting to a smaller pixel size (like 700 pixel width) often turns my photos blurry, and I feel like I’m missing something. Your photos seem razor sharp whether they’re thumbnails or screen-wide. Thanks so much in advance!

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      mike make a custom theme that allows me to upload photos at 2x resolution. that’s why they look sharp on your screen. hope that helps!

  46. Deborah Lyons Jacobs says:

    Please add me so I receive email blogs from you
    Thank you
    Deb

  47. Cecilia says:

    I LOVE your blog! ♡ And your photos are very interesting, appetising and attractive…congrats to both!

  48. Bettina says:

    Hi, I`m uruguaian cook. I`ve been reading some recipes in differents webs and one of them is yours. This is the way that I`ve discovered your blog.
    Could you tell me if your american o britain blog? I like it a lot. Regards.

  49. Fb says:

    Love your blog! Please keep me updated with all your adventures by email!

  50. Hope Hill says:

    Live your blog but could not find where to subscribe to your email newsletter. Can you please sign me up?

  51. UpperSpoon says:

    Your photography is just beautiful, I was simply shocked to hear that you do it all with a speed light, very impressive. I would like to learn to use one over constant lighting one day. If you ever post an article about lighting please be sure to let me know.

  52. sassygirl says:

    would love to subscribe!

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