need food critiques!

[Derrel]

None of the above photographs are acceptable food photographs. The depth of field is too shallow,and the sauces all look uniformly gross and disgusting. The plates on a couple of the shots look out of round,and there are distracting shadows on the front edges of the food. The entre that has been grilled looks dried-out and simply awful.

I am not sure where your boss wants to use these photos, but this is a case of where hiring even a small-time commercial photographer would yield resulkts that would make the food look worth buying. Your boss wishing to potograph the food where the cooks place the plates for service is a really bone-headed decision; that scratched-up stainless steel serving ledge looks absolutely terrible.

A plate of food needs to be shown in a dining environment, on a table, with some decent props like silverware, drinking or wine glasses, and a table cloth. Not on a scratched-up steel countertop with a jet-black background.

I'm not trying to demean your efforts, but your boss needs some serious mental adjustment if he thinks that one can snap pics of plates of food and make them look even worth buying. No amount of Lightroom adjustment makes up for out of focus food or for food lighted by a single tungsten lightbulb from the rear or side.

 

[jenniferlouise]

Derrell, while I agree in some respect to you. He did say the purpose of the photographs was for training purposes mostly (maybe with some of them being used for the website), so the critiquing of background (stainless steel and plates) of the images is not as important especially in the training aspect, which seems to be what it's mostly for from the first post.

While yes, in the case of using them for the website (or any other advertising outlet) they might not be as up to par as some other shots.

 

[nrois02]

^ yeah plus i have a meeting with the other owner to talk about website shots where i will push the setup and nice looking photos.