Comments on: Quick Guide to Food Photography http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/02/27/quick-guide-to-food-photography/ A blog about food Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:11:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marc http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/02/27/quick-guide-to-food-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-5184 Marc Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:01:03 +0000 http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/?p=380#comment-5184 Does anyone know a course I could take to learn about photographing food? Does anyone know a course I could take to learn about photographing food?

]]> By: matt http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/02/27/quick-guide-to-food-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-115 matt Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:30:55 +0000 http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/?p=380#comment-115 Yeah, photos at restaurants can be a little bit awkward, especially because I tend to shoot with a big SLR! That reminds me, we've got some photos from our last outing we still need to post up. <strong>Lighting</strong>. If you think you're likely to document the place you're eating at and you have a choice of where to sit, try and find somewhere with good lighting. You can fiddle with other stuff on your camera, but if you've got good lighting it makes things a lot easier. <strong>Equipment</strong>. I guess most people don't take SLRs everywhere. Compacts are probably what I'd opt for to shoot at restaurants. I still don't thing camera phones are good enough. Most probably, the lighting still isn't going to be perfect, so if you've got a compact camera, get a tripod. <a href="http://joby.com/uk/" title="GorillaPods" rel="nofollow">GorillaPods</a> are pretty good for perching on stuff like chairs. I'm not totally sold on them for SLRs though. <strong>Calculate</strong>. Personally, I opt for less photos, but ones I've calculated beforehand. You could discreetly snap the salt and pepper pots to check you've got the settings right before you really snap your food. <strong>Get up</strong>. It's tricky to get good shots without getting up from your seat. Just be bold about it, pretend you're photographing whoever you're eating with - it's not that weird. If you are too shy though, get someone opposite the table to snap your food, they'll get a better angle. Yeah, photos at restaurants can be a little bit awkward, especially because I tend to shoot with a big SLR! That reminds me, we’ve got some photos from our last outing we still need to post up.

Lighting. If you think you’re likely to document the place you’re eating at and you have a choice of where to sit, try and find somewhere with good lighting. You can fiddle with other stuff on your camera, but if you’ve got good lighting it makes things a lot easier.

Equipment. I guess most people don’t take SLRs everywhere. Compacts are probably what I’d opt for to shoot at restaurants. I still don’t thing camera phones are good enough. Most probably, the lighting still isn’t going to be perfect, so if you’ve got a compact camera, get a tripod. GorillaPods are pretty good for perching on stuff like chairs. I’m not totally sold on them for SLRs though.

Calculate. Personally, I opt for less photos, but ones I’ve calculated beforehand. You could discreetly snap the salt and pepper pots to check you’ve got the settings right before you really snap your food.

Get up. It’s tricky to get good shots without getting up from your seat. Just be bold about it, pretend you’re photographing whoever you’re eating with – it’s not that weird. If you are too shy though, get someone opposite the table to snap your food, they’ll get a better angle.

]]> By: Not Delia http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/02/27/quick-guide-to-food-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Not Delia Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:39:27 +0000 http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/?p=380#comment-113 Thanks, Matt. Great advice. Of course with something like a cheesecake, you can scoff a piece first and then photograph the 'model' at your leisure. Have you any tips for taking photos when you're out at restaurants? I don't like creating a fuss and attracting attention by flashing away all over the place so I tend to take a couple of hurried snaps and hope that something good will result. A kind of hit and hope approach. Thanks, Matt. Great advice. Of course with something like a cheesecake, you can scoff a piece first and then photograph the ‘model’ at your leisure. Have you any tips for taking photos when you’re out at restaurants? I don’t like creating a fuss and attracting attention by flashing away all over the place so I tend to take a couple of hurried snaps and hope that something good will result. A kind of hit and hope approach.

]]> By: Louby Lou http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/02/27/quick-guide-to-food-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Louby Lou Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:08:16 +0000 http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/?p=380#comment-112 Thank you, thank you, thank you! Just what I was looking for... Photography is not my strong point, but I think your article will help me get better photos of my food than the ones I'm getting at the moment with my phone camera :o) Thank you, thank you, thank you! Just what I was looking for… Photography is not my strong point, but I think your article will help me get better photos of my food than the ones I’m getting at the moment with my phone camera :o )

]]> By: matt http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/02/27/quick-guide-to-food-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-109 matt Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:23:48 +0000 http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/?p=380#comment-109 Cheers Not Delia. Yeah, it really is a problem, especially since we don't have a microwave. I think the trick is to have as much as possible setup before serving up. Try taking some test shots, making sure the white balance and shutter speed are all OK. Place some dummy objects where you intend to shoot and see what the DOF (depth of field is like) - ideally you just want to try a few angles once you've served and then you can eat. You've got some nice photos on your blog too. I particularly like the strawberry cheesecake one (although I can't eat chocolate!). Cheers Not Delia. Yeah, it really is a problem, especially since we don’t have a microwave. I think the trick is to have as much as possible setup before serving up. Try taking some test shots, making sure the white balance and shutter speed are all OK. Place some dummy objects where you intend to shoot and see what the DOF (depth of field is like) – ideally you just want to try a few angles once you’ve served and then you can eat. You’ve got some nice photos on your blog too. I particularly like the strawberry cheesecake one (although I can’t eat chocolate!).

]]> By: Not Delia http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/02/27/quick-guide-to-food-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Not Delia Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:29:46 +0000 http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/?p=380#comment-108 Thanks for this excellent posting. I'm a keen photographer but often find it difficult to take good photos of food. As you say, it's especially difficult if you want to eat your food while it's still warm. There have been times when I've cooked something perfectly only to have to reheat it in the microwave after faffing about with the photos. It's interesting that you say it's a current trend to take extreme close-ups at a slight angle. Funnily enough, I've been doing that too recently. I hadn't realised I was such a dedicated follower of fashion. :-) Thanks for this excellent posting. I’m a keen photographer but often find it difficult to take good photos of food. As you say, it’s especially difficult if you want to eat your food while it’s still warm. There have been times when I’ve cooked something perfectly only to have to reheat it in the microwave after faffing about with the photos. It’s interesting that you say it’s a current trend to take extreme close-ups at a slight angle. Funnily enough, I’ve been doing that too recently. I hadn’t realised I was such a dedicated follower of fashion. :-)

]]> By: Paul http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/2009/02/27/quick-guide-to-food-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Paul Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:23:16 +0000 http://www.whatiatetoday.co.uk/?p=380#comment-51 Matt, An excellent post. I will try hard to up the quality of my photos - with the exception of the colour balance I have been trying the tips you include here previously. I reckon I take 15-20 snaps for each one I upload to Picasa and then only use 1 in 4 of those. A good job I've got a big memory card! I had a bit of a disaster trying to photograph a soufflé the other night - the choice was to photograph it or eat it before it cooled and subsided! I chose the eating option! Paul Matt,

An excellent post. I will try hard to up the quality of my photos – with the exception of the colour balance I have been trying the tips you include here previously. I reckon I take 15-20 snaps for each one I upload to Picasa and then only use 1 in 4 of those. A good job I’ve got a big memory card!

I had a bit of a disaster trying to photograph a soufflé the other night – the choice was to photograph it or eat it before it cooled and subsided! I chose the eating option!

Paul

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