PHOTOGRAPHING FOOD – LOCATION
Introduction……………………………………………….Page 1
Body of Essay……………………………………………..Page 1
Food………………………………………………..Page 1
Location...………………………………………..Page 2
Lighting............................................................ Page 2
Background and Props.............................. Page 2
Lenses............................................................... Page 2
Photographers and Images.................................... Page 3
Lauren Ulm..................................................... Page 3
Ian Hofstetter................................................ Page 4
Keren Su.......................................................... Page 5
David Duncan Livingston........................ Page 6
Conclusion.................................................................... Page 6
References.................................................................... Page 7
INTRODUCTION
There are several aspects of food photography that make it unique in terms of types of photography.
Firstly the preparation & presentation of the food needs to be addressed. Secondly It needs a good amount of light to enhance the appearance of the dish or raw produce if that is what is being photographed.
I shall address both of these issues in this essay from a location point of view.
On location, many photographic sessions are shot at a restaurant which means that the cook is on hand.
It is best to prepare the set using a pretend plate of food arranged in a similar way to the actual dish so the background and lighting can be addresses.
If in the restaurant, it is best not to have the customers in the background unless the client particularly wants that.
The image must tell the story: does it look appetising; is it obviously hot or cold; is it fresh; is it juicy; do colours balance & is it a good geometric shape; is it nicely placed on the plate; and if an international dish, does the dish reflect the country. For that extra bit of shine some people add a little oil but care must be taken not to overdo it nor spread it on the place – it would look grease. One article said that steam can be added by placing microwaved cotton balls behind the food– that may need a darker background to see the steam though..
LOCATION: The size of the room or restaurant and the table used on which the food is placed must be taken in to consideration as to lighting used and even lens choice. Where are the windows – ie will they enhance the shot or create a problem.
LIGHTING: Do the restaurant’s lights throw a colour cast which results in changing the colour of the food? Is the mixture of light through the windows mixed with the artificial lighting too difficult to manage. Perhaps studio lighting might be worth considering.
Natural light is great and sometimes it is possible to take the photo next to a window with a little artificial light such a bouncing a flash off the ceiling. Lighting creates mood but it also highlights the food to make it look more appetizing in terms of for instance freshness and juiciness. Care must be taken with lights to avoid nasty shadows. On the other hand good shadows can give dimension to the shot.
BACKGROUND and PROPS: It may be nice to have a ‘sunny morning’ sort of background or something that gives a clue as to the origin of the dish (eg Asian).
Correct choice of cutlery, crockery, glasswear and other table wear may also need organizing (unless you have a stylist). Colour co-ordination with the props can be striking.
LENSES: Very often a macro (close up) lens is used but of course that shortens the depth of field. This may enhance the photo but the client may want the whole photo sharp. In that case a longer lens is needed.
PHOTOGRAPHERS and IMAGES
Lauren Ulm: I picked these shots as it is quite clear how she took the first photo – by the light of the window. It looks as if she may have a 50mm lens with a wide aperture. There doesn’t seem to be any fill-in lighting. The second shot is probably taken in a similar way & certainly the short depth of field looks good particularly with the repeated units of food.
Ian Hofstetter :
Ian tends to use depth of field very effectively. The egg one which is quite typical of his lighting style. He likes soft lighting with minimal shadows. I think these could have done in a studio or on location. There is back lighting (either artificial or from a window and there is also lighting from both sides at the front.
Keren Su
I picked this photographer because she has made the dish look authentic. The model’s clothes and the tablecloth make the shot look very Asian. The slight movement of the hand and chopsticks create interest as well. This shot probably gets its light from a window on the right with a reflector on the left.
David Duncan Livingston:
On this photographer’s website, he says: ‘Great food photography shows the freshness of food and the artistry of palette. My food and wine photos are shot on location capturing images in their surroundings and given a light touch of photo styling. I art direct the shoot with the client and food preparer, I seek out backgrounds and props that add context and meaning to your shot and I use my thirty years of food experience to communication with the chef what is needed to create the freshest and most inviting gourmet food photography’.
While I would not normally quote such a big paragraph, I thought it was interesting to hear what he says of his photography. The lighting looks as if it has come from a window on the left side partly behind the photographer. There is a reflector of small softbox on the right so the right side is not in darkness.
CONCLUSION
Food photography is much more complicated than one would expect when browsing through a cook book. There are so many aspects to address in order to enhance the food and so sell those cook books or get customers into a particular restaurant. Perfect food preparation in terms of appearance and timing; perfect selection if raw produce; perfect lighting; interesting props
REFERENCES
Bruni, Robert Food Photography – Parts 1 & 2 – Photographing the Food; http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.howtophotographfood.com/images/logo.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.howtophotographfood.com/&usg=__KwxIKRoqC-Zl1Ci5g81M4lmn_g0=&h=500&w=334&sz=85&hl=en&start=2&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=L-ALeCtj9Dr6wM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=87&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfood%2Bphotography%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1
Duncan, David; davidduncanLIVINGston ; http://www.davidduncanlivingston.com/lifestyle-product-photo/food-photography/
Hofstetter, Ian: Ian Hofstetter Photography; http://www.ianhofstetter.com.au
Lolo (photographer); Ulm, Lauren (Book writer): Vagan Yum Yum: Decadent Animal-free recipes for entertaining & Everydayhttp://blog.adhack.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/portabello-mushrooms.jpg. Also:
http://veganyumyum.com/2008/09/food-photography-for-bloggers/
Rowse, Darren; Food photography – An introduction; http://digital-photography-school.com/food-photography-an-introduction
Simpo, Charity & Pos; Food Photography; http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://luqmanlee.com/photoblog/images/Food.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.luqmanlee.com/photoblog/%3Fp%3D97&usg=__217ejF9icj1fKBiRGw4f40etRvI=&h=460&w=550&sz=162&hl=en&start=11&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Xe_DcigiwI13MM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfood%2Bphotography%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1
Su, Keren: http://www.gettyimages.com.au No 74104627
Vosgien, Jean-Louis; Food Photography made easy; http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.howtophotographfood.com/images/logo.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.howtophotographfood.com/&usg=__KwxIKRoqC-Zl1Ci5g81M4lmn_g0=&h=500&w=334&sz=85&hl=en&start=2&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=L-ALeCtj9Dr6wM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=87&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfood%2Bphotography%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1
No comments:
Post a Comment