A Matter Of Snap #7 (April 2009)
Hello Henriëtte here with this months challenge.
To start here is the winner of past months challenge:
Christine (inhisgrip)
with this wonderful picture:
I love the great setting and how he looks to be so caught up in his own thoughts, totally unaware of the camera.
Congrats Christine!!
On to this months challenge:
The subject for APRIL is something we need everyday: FOOD!
So take a picture of your favorite dish, or most yummy looking food and make our mouths water….
And a food picture would be great for entering in the “a Matter Of Taste” challenge were members can exchange all their yummy recipe’s!
Here are some tips for making the food picture looking extra yummy:
Styling Your Food
• Place solid or simple patterned papers (available at a scrapbooking store) as a background. Figure out what works and does not work in terms of contrast and similarity. Also, make sure that you have enough paper to completely cover the entire field of view.
• Experiment with incorporating serving pieces, whole place settings, napkins, placemats, and tablecloths. Set the table with silverware, drinks, and even candles to convey the right mood. If you’re budget-conscious, you can always find these items at thrift and resale stores, flea markets, and garage sales.
• If you have multiple food subjects available to you (like two dozen cupcakes from which to choose), use only the best examples. A blemish can easily ruin an entire photoshoot.
• Mist fruit, vegetables, and glassware with water to create condensation and make them look more appetizing. Shiny food appeals more than dull food, and anything you can do to make your food shine will make a more interesting photo.
• Incorporate elements from the food you’re shooting or place appropriate condiments in the frame. Slice cucumbers thinly and place them on top of yogurt soup to lend it some freshness. Accompany Thai food with small bowls of sugar, chili, fish sauce, and fresh limes. Some ideas will work, and some won’t.
Food Photography Composition
• Zoom – with both your lens and your feet – to put the food in its place. Whether you are using a prime lens or a zoom lens, you can always get in close to magnify a detail of the food or loosen the shot up to show the food as a component of a larger meal.
• Rotate along all three axes. Some food looks best when looking directly down on it, while other food has an interesting side profile that can only be seen when shooting across the food at its level. Slightly tilting the camera clockwise or counterclockwise can add some interest to an otherwise dull photo. Take advantage of the low cost of experimentation since you’re shooting digitally.
• Use the rule of thirds. In general, the rule of thirds helps to easily give you compositionally strong photos, and this holds true not only for landscapes and action shots but for food as well. Practice following it to learn when you should treat it as a suggestion rather than a rule.
• Take advantage of the fact that your subjects won’t walk away. While a lot of food stylists say that you only have a short time to work with food after it’s served, that hasn’t been my experience (ice cream being the exception). I always feel that I can walk around, zoom, hover, and poke and prod to get the shots I need.
From an article by Jonathan Pollack (digital-photography-school.com)
And here is my go on the challenge:
Well my photo has been prosponed due to the hospitalization of my youngest daughter, I hope you’ll understand and I will post my picture and LO as soon as possible.
But luckly you can already enjoy these mouth watering pictures of Cyndi (Cyndi146) and Monique (Monsu):
Have fun!
