Any tips for food photography?

berettafan · 10-29-2007, 10:46 AM

Was tapped to do some photography work for a very popular local restaurant and have a week or so to prepare. Shots will be raw seafood, cooked seafood and also a few action photos of the restaurant.

I certainly want to avoid the classic 'stand over it and shoot it' style that is so horrible to look at.

Any tips from the pros?

tabs · 10-29-2007, 11:20 AM

Yeah Hurry and take the picture before it all gets eaten.

berettafan · 10-29-2007, 11:37 AM

right. pics of a fat man on the can with a newspaper probably wouldn't sell a lot of crabcakes.

Steve Carlton · 10-29-2007, 11:47 AM

Assuming you're using a DSLR or SLR, it's mostly going to be about lighting. You'll probably want to rent some gear. I've never done that kind of work, but I'll bet you'll want some soft lights, maybe a soft box. I'd look in some food magazines to get some ideas. I've always liked action shots where the flash is brief compared to the shutter speed, creating a blur for action but emphasizing a moment in the motion. You might find some useful information in this forum:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/44

berettafan · 10-29-2007, 11:53 AM

Thanks steve. i will check locally and see if i can rent some boxes. probably a necessity for this.

rammstein · 12:13 PM

From someone with NO real knowledge or qualifications, I'd avoid using a harsh flash. I think that makes the food end up looking too colorless and weird. I only say this because I was excited about a dish I made a few months ago, and when I tried taking pictures of it the only way it looked good was with no flash and a longer exposure. The colors came out looking much warmer that way.

But judging on how you are a professional, this is like me telling Picasso how to hold his brush. Be careful before listening to me.

EDIT- oops- you DID ask for advice from PROS specifically. Disregard me!

kstar · 10-29-2007, 11:56 AM

From what little I know about food photography, I do know food is one of the most difficult items to shoot!

This page and blog may help:

http://www.foodportfolio.com/blog/#blog

Good luck.

Best,

Kurt

berettafan · 10-29-2007, 12:18 PM

kurt thanks that is an awesome site!

ramm your comments are 1000% appreciated.

gassy · 10-29-2007, 12:51 PM

We shoot quite a bit of food at my studio and our inspiration for food photography is Donna Hay's catalogue from Ausrtralia. Clean, open lighting, simple props, let the food be the hero. Selective focus still works. You can get her cookbooks/mags at any big bookstore.

http://www.donnahay.com.au/

911pcars · 10-29-2007, 10:30 PM

If you want the food to look really good and you have the budget, hire a pro food specialist to prepare it. The photography is only a part of it.

Sherwood

trekkor · 10-29-2007, 11:00 PM

I know some photographed food is prepared to look good ( never to be eaten ).

Aspic is a geletin you can brush over the raw fish to give it an extra shine, gives it a very fresh appearance.

Include colorful garnishes and very nice ( clean and polished flatware ).
Glasses of water, wine or other beverages nearby are nice.

A fireplace in the background creates a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Attractive servers/chefs, etc presenting with smiles...

KT

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Most food pics are very manufactured. I did some consulting at a large consumer products company that made cereal.. They used Elmers glue to make nice white milk drops on the top of the cereal that looked much better on camera... Get creative!

Zeke · 10-30-2007, 08:02 AM

I didn't look at the site and I'm not a photographer, but I've seen it done. Very tricky specialty. For instance, they use acid to create the effect of steam as in hot off the grill. Gotta have some sizzle to make food appealing. Ice is never ice, it's plastic. Glasses are not cold, but misted with a spritzer. And so on.

RickM · RickM's Garage

I had ad work done by Nabisco's head of photography years ago. I'm sure you've see his work

I don't think there was edible (or real for that matter) food in most of the sets. Like mentioned above, lot's of plastics, glues, propping, plaster...you name it. Along with alot of uber high-end equipment.

sketchers356 · 10-30-2007, 09:23 AM

Lets see some pics!

911Rob · 911Rob's Garage

I did some website publishing for a chef once, the site has since elapsed but I'll share some of the photography that he provided:

Hope these help you out....... feel free to pirate any of them?

911Rob · 911Rob's Garage

Other ideas.........

Cheers!

Cdnone1 · 10-30-2007, 02:45 PM

I shoot food for a living. Commercials, not stills.
If you like go to my site www.stevevernondp.com and go to my food reel. If you have any specific question feel free to E-mail me at steve@stevevernondp.com or I would be happy to answer them here as well.
Food can be very difficult to shoot well. Do you have any budget to work with because you will need a food stylist and some lights and gear.
Using a shallow depth of field will draw the eye to what you are trying to sell and better contain the area you need to light and control
Steve

Mr_Wizard · 10-30-2007, 03:35 PM

Lens Cap. Don't forget to remove the lens cap.

berettafan · 10-30-2007, 06:12 PM

thanks mr. wizard but since i switched to DSLR that problem has been resolved

Steve i have a Nikon D70 and a speedflash. no budget to speak of. definitely no food stylist. i'm going to look into renting add'l lighting and will start looking into tips for getting a nice finish on the food.