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Post by minesamojito on Mar 7, 2012 22:11:06 GMT
I figured it was about time we set up a thread for people to share their food photography tips, and get the best out of their cameras. As you've probably noticed, it's something I enjoy, as do a few others on here. Here's a few tips for starters, to get the ball rolling 1. Try to use natural light early morning or late afternoon the best times. 2. Hold the camera very steady or use a tripod. 3. Don't ever use the flash on the camera, turn it off, and up the ISO. 4. Keep the image simple and think about different angles, whats in the background and laying things out nicely. 5. Use some simple but relevant props, a bottle of beer/glass of wine, some olive oil etc. Hope this is useful Cheers Marcus
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Post by Fat Bob on Mar 7, 2012 22:18:32 GMT
Use a large sheet of anything white to reflect light onto the subject. If you want really good looking food you have to cheat, brush with oil, lift up the food on small chocks.
If you want to use flash - make a diffuser - wrap the flash in tissue or use silver foil to distribute the flash - or bounce the flash.
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Post by Calaf on Mar 7, 2012 22:37:19 GMT
Photography is primarily about controlling the lighting. As Marcus says, natural light is best but direct sunlight and shadows doesn't usually flatter food shots. (There are exceptions - it's a matter of context.) There are all sorts of tricks you can do with flash but if you have a small point-and-shoot camera best to switch it off. (Again, exceptions being some cameras with flash that can be redirected. If you have a mountable flash gun try pointing the flash towards the ceiling or behind you if there is a reflective white wall. Marcus's shots show a good understanding of "depth of field". If you can control your camera manually, set it to Aperture Priority and select a wide aperture (low f-number). Having the main item in sharp focus and the background soft tends to draw they eye in. If the background is sharp it tends to give a busy picture. But beware of near field objects being out-of-focus as it tends to confuse the eye. In my opinion, the food photography you see in glossy mags is cold and clinical. It is done with arays of strobes and softboxes that produce perfect images that have had the life sucked out of them. Even small cameras can produce soulful images if you, the photographer, can connect with the food. Easy if you cooked it and are just about to eat it.
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Post by minesamojito on Mar 8, 2012 7:49:20 GMT
Agree 100% with all these tips. With depth of field control in Av mode you need a low an f number as you can get. (not all cameras can do this). You can then control where you want people to look, ie. the object in focus. Most food magazine photos are soulless and lack a context although technically spot on. Also consider composition, often a picture looks better if the main subject is off centre eg. but sometimes looks great in dead centre. it's all about artistic control and what you want people to see. Keep the tips rolling guys these are great. cheers marcus
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Post by Calaf on Mar 8, 2012 9:33:40 GMT
The seedlings shot is a good example of the "rule of thirds". Divide your frame into thirds, either vertically or horizontally or both, and align your subject along one of those lines. (In portraits the eyes of a face are the focus.) Another tip for controlling depth of focus with small cameras (that tend to have small sensors and small lenses not conducive to aperture control) is to zoom in and step back. Zooming in at the telephoto end decreases depth-of-field to give those nice out-of-focus contextual components. This also helps if the subject is the same colour as the background and would otherwise be swamped.
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Post by Calaf on Mar 8, 2012 12:03:06 GMT
... A photo can lead the eye to tell a story... A loaf of bread on a countertop is a loaf of bread on a countertop. A loaf of bread in a kitchen with a bread knife, butter and flour packet is a home-made meal waiting to be eaten. Which would you rather eat? A: B: C: A and B are from the BBC good food site and no doubt shot by a highly paid professional photographer who goes about waving his arms and calling everbody 'darling' in his studio equipped with highly expensive gear, then photoshopped etc. The third is obviously Marcus's. Moral: never be afraid your photos aren't good enough. (In photo 1 is young Freddo, whom we adopted from Monkeyworld, with his elder sister looking down admonishingly. What you don't see is the pool of Chimp urine the poor chap fell comatose in.)
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Post by minesamojito on Mar 8, 2012 12:27:33 GMT
Thank you Calaf, that's a very kind comparison. Love your pics too, the monkey one had me rolling with laughter. For compact users, use the macro function and get right in close, especially if you're struggling from a distance to get a decent picture. Don't be afraid to fill the image Cheers Marcus
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Post by Calaf on Mar 8, 2012 12:59:35 GMT
Ahh... macro I wish I had some food shots to share. But if you like eating insects... Anax Imperator in my pond.
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Post by Happy Baker on Mar 8, 2012 13:57:33 GMT
Ahh... macro I wish I had some food shots to share. But if you like eating insects... Anax Imperator in my pond. Wow - that is wonderful - the detail is just brilliant! Couldn't eat it though ... Will be looking up the name Edit:A dragonfly (for those of us not in the know)
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Post by minesamojito on Mar 8, 2012 14:12:19 GMT
That's a cracking pic calaf, spot on focus
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Post by Calaf on Mar 8, 2012 16:58:47 GMT
Emperor Dragonfly, perhaps the most beautiful creature on the planet. Dozens emerge from the pond each May, usually over 1-2 nights. I have to keep the cat away from them while they crawl out and open their wings so I sleep outside keeping watch. This little fella is a blue damsel. And here's a red one.
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Post by benjibong on Mar 9, 2012 8:40:10 GMT
You must have special lenses to do that!! I have an SLR but no way it could ever do that..... how close can you get? When I try to photo my bread but it just looks like photo A and B.. Marcuses looks so nicer.
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Post by minesamojito on Mar 9, 2012 9:12:49 GMT
Thanks BenjiB, Have a play with the tips above and you should get the pics you are after, always happy to explain how i've got a picture if it helps. Cheers Marcus
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Post by Calaf on Mar 9, 2012 11:04:38 GMT
Close enough? Unfortunately food doesn't look so good that close.
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matt
valid member
Posts: 74
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Post by matt on Mar 19, 2012 22:27:35 GMT
Great thread gents.
Roland Barthes, in his book 'Camera Lucida' coined the term 'punctum' to try to give a name to the arresting quality of a good photograph - something that really hooks into you but isn't necessarily obvious.
I always think yr pics are great Marcus, and I like the way there are traces of the hands that made the food: the texture of the cuts on the eggs, the knife jabbed in the butter, etc; its this kind of authenticity that seems to get sanitised out of the food mag shots.
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