…Well unless you are a professional photographer of over 30 years and the shot just comes to you naturally.
As food blogging and micro blogging become more and more popular, folks like me want to know how to shoot our great tasting food properly to show off the great skill of ourselves, loved one, friend, or professional chef.
Although my lobster roll shot made it on the home page of FoodBuzz.com , I am often disappointed from shooting blobs of dreary food from my iPhone. My husband Michael was kind enough to share his insight, as we talked a bit of shop on the weekend, on the world of photography and taking it to the streets food shooting. I hope you enjoy this post and find his professional advice helpful.
Constance: Should we be capturing everything we eat? What could be considered TMI (too much information)?
Michael: One should consider that the more one adds to a photo, the more “busy” it will become. When a photograph is busy, it does not have a center of interest. There will be nothing to hold the viewers attention. When taking any photo one should always ask, how do I want my photo to be viewed? Less is always more. Think about what you enjoy when looking at the best photos of food. Perhaps a supermarket layout photo of a lot of food? Or, that close up of that scrumptious juicy steak.
Constance: But what if it just simply looks too unappealing?
Michael: One should use restraint, because if it is visually unappealing, it will not possess the visual elements to make a good photo. If you feel you must make an image in an editorial sense to compliment your writing, you can always try a few creative shots. Let’s say where one would include the whole bowl or dish at a low angle, and this time actually use the place setting, the wine glass a little of the restaurant, and show very little of the actual food.
Constance: Most of us capture images with our smart phones, excluding flash and under poor lighting. How can we still shoot a scrumptious foodie pic?
Michael: Whenever possible, move your food to the window. Window light is one of the best lighting to use for any photographic purpose. The top photographers go to great length to create this light on demand. Take advantage of it when you can. You can even make this lighting better, by bringing a white card, and placing this on the opposite side of the light, behind the product to really make the food come alive. The most important rule is, even when you cannot find the window light or it is nighttime, always try to place the food in the light, whatever is available.
Constance: I hear the trend is to capture half eaten, sort of messy food images to show the real essence of the meal. Do you agree, lipstick marks and all?
Michael: This is one area is better left to the professionals. The messy food shots that have been created by Madison Ave, are a very complicated affair. These shots may look messy, but the top stylists in the world worked very hard to create these effects. Now look at your messy plate, I’m sure it will not look anywhere near like the top photo layouts. However, a few crumbs and small details can go a long way to making your photo look more appealing and real.
Constance: Part of the idea of food blogging is to show locals or tourists in town a taste of what they will get at the restaurant, what should be included in the photo and what should be excluded? i.e. table setting, menu, glasses, condiments?
These extra items or props should be kept to a minimum. The more you include these elements, the more you risk making your photos look too busy. By including a little you again can enhance the effect of your photo. When doing this, include only a small portion of say the spoon, for the soup, the wine glass with the fish, etc. However, do not become overly concerned with these elements, just follow a simple approach and your shot will always be a winner. The best thing about photography is, the rules are meant to be broken, go with your intuition. Just be aware of this question, how do I want a viewer to see this image? Why are they going to stop what they’re doing to look at this image? And what are you doing, that will ensure this result?
Thank you! Perhaps now shooting and sharing my experience will be in harmony with the enjoyment of eating.
Michael has incorporated the fine arts into a long term and lifetime career plan. Graduating with an MFA from Cranbrook University, using his commercial photographic skills and understanding of fine art, he has built a sought after business of providing photography of art to all major NYC galleries including the Whitney, Metropolitan, Guggenheim and other museums. His photography is featured in many famous artists’ books and used for promotional purposes on the web and print.
Now residing on Long Island, Michael offers unique photography to the New York Metro Area, while bringing his experience from the true art world.
Visit his website at www.realportraitimages.com
Constance Korol is President of iTwitterCoach and is a frequent guest blogger for Hilary Topper. She is an avid foodie and can be found at the following personal blogs/micro blogs:
https://twograpenuts.wordpress.com/
www.foodbuzz.com Profile NYTwitterFoodie
