Introduction: The commercial value of food photography lies in the fact that many catering companies want to shoot recipes in order to show the characteristics of their own dishes. This kind of shooting is often used "mobile studio" approach, that is, the photographer will be flash and other equipment to the restaurant and other shooting site.
Before the shoot, the photographer needs to communicate fully with the client to understand the client's needs, favorite style, as well as the venue, power settings and other information. During the shoot, the chef will present the "half-cooked" dishes in order. The reason for this is that the shape and color of a dish is more expressive when it's half-cooked than when it's fully cooked.
Food photography is roughly divided into several stages
1, food production: from the shooting effect, can let the chef and the photographer **** with the discussion that is the best.
2, set: dig out the cultural connotations behind the dishes, decide what kind of environment which props for the scene layout.
3, lighting: in the restaurant set up shooting scenes, lighting.
5, set up tripod.
6, shooting from all angles to see which effect is best. If you have the conditions, you can set up a multi-camera.
7, in order to keep the food fresh to control the shooting speed
8, detailed adjustments: for example, in the iced tea with a slice of lemon, can add a little color to the monotonous photo.
9, photo post-processing adjustments
Food photography on-site lighting
Rigorous food photography requires precise lighting, usually, the photographer will carry a detachable studio lights and other tools in the restaurant field set up to complete the commercial shoot.
Here's a common and versatile method of lighting that can be used to get a very desirable lighting effect. First of all, set up a downward flash above the dish and equipped with a large softbox as the main light, the photographer from the side of the dish above the shot, equipped with a softbox equipped with a flash as a secondary light, set up a flash equipped with a standard cover as a modeling light at the back of the dish, which can add to the dish of the contrast between light and dark and texture. The photographer adjusted the intensity of the three flashes to adjust the effect of the shot, and the image below is an example of a photo taken using this lighting method.
Creating the Background for Food Photography
A good background is necessary to make a good photo. A good background can make an ordinary table look like a five-star restaurant. In addition to the subject, the color of the background almost determines the tone of the entire image, so a good match will make the picture very beautiful.
Different color schemes determine the style of the image and the food. Brightly colored backgrounds can reflect a fresh feeling, with gazpacho, green leafy vegetables to give people a sense of relaxation and enjoyment. The background with deep and varied colors can create a romantic and mysterious feeling, full of artistic infectivity, with western food, pastry, etc. can reflect the unique cultural connotation of food.
This picture uses a deep purple simulation of flowers to do the background of the cake, flowers with deep color and delicate texture. The beauty of the flowers against the beauty of the cake, complement each other, showing the delicious and noble.
In addition to the common different colors of the tablecloth, you can also use the ingredients and accessories of the dishes as a background to highlight the freshness of the dishes. In this example, the photographer shot a bright red cake and chose colorful rose petals as the background, the tone of the background is consistent with the main body, harmonious and rich in change, which improves the cake grade.
Props to accentuate the taste of food
The tableware into the food photography photo images, commonly seen in the Western-style meal food photos, some of the performance of the Western restaurant dishes and even the table, candlesticks and other elements of the photo even more elements into the picture, the difference in the style of this shooting comes from the difference in culture. This difference in shooting style comes from cultural differences. Western food pays more attention to the dining environment, so it is only logical to add tableware and other picture elements to the picture when shooting western food.
In the combination of food and tableware and other elements, pay attention to the distribution of the screen area, the main food area can not be too small, so as not to overpower the main. In the composition of the matching elements, to the point, the picture also reserve a certain amount of space, the composition should not be too full, in order to create a harmonious atmosphere.
High-end tableware, wine and goblets, etc., can be used as props to decorate the picture, they can play the effect of highlighting the taste of food.
Special dishes and soups require special techniques and props. In this case, the photographer photographed casserole meatballs, in order to better highlight the taste of the dish, deliberately charged in the composition of the casserole pot lid, the lid of the bamboo leaves on the modification of the screen as the highlight, and the meatballs with similar colors, each other set off echo, and casserole pot lid in the picture played a role of the title, highlighting the individuality of the dish and distinctive.
Spoons and knives and forks are also often used to do the supporting role of tableware, especially in the shooting of soup dishes, the spoon with the picture more intimate and warm.