2nd attempt at Pabellón Criollo

[tirediron]

I can see why this wasn't well received. The knife & fork look like they were dropped on to the set. This is more the idea I had in mind; props to give the image interest, but don't detract.

 

[redbourn]

I can see why this wasn't well received. The knife & fork look like they were dropped on to the set. This is more the idea I had in mind; props to give the image interest, but don't detract.

Thanks.

Attached are a couple of photos that I shot a few months ago.

I can see why this wasn't well received. The knife & fork look like they were dropped on to the set. This is more the idea I had in mind; props to give the image interest, but don't detract.

I have an idea if you're interested.

Post two photos on my Facebook page, same food, but one with just food and the other with props.

Approval is needed to post but I will grant it.

Something like, "Michael asked me to post two photos of the same meal. Which do you prefer?".

Will be seen by around 2,000 people, but I don't know how many will respond of course.

Michael Redbourn | Facebook

My page is public.

What do you think?

Michael

 

[table1349]

A couple of examples of food photography with well place props.
http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/...staurant-dinner-food-photography-studio-3.jpg

http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DB_7743_GracesKitchen_d_FD_1500.jpg

http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DB_7416_StarPalate_d_30_FD_1500.jpg

 

[tirediron]

I'm getting a 403 error on all those links Gryph..

 

[table1349]

So am I now. See what I can do later.

 

[redbourn]

I'm getting a 403 error on all those links Gryph..

The links work

A couple of examples of food photography with well place props.
http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/...staurant-dinner-food-photography-studio-3.jpg

http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DB_7743_GracesKitchen_d_FD_1500.jpg

http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DB_7416_StarPalate_d_30_FD_1500.jpg

The links work for me.

All three are beautiful photos, but would they be good for a cookbook ?

In the first one my eye kept immediately being taken to the glass of whisky.
In the second one it's really hard to focus on the foreground mussels.
The third one works for me.

Again, they are beautiful photos but they look more the type that would be displayed in an ad for a restaurant.

Please take a look at these.

Recipes | Jamie Oliver

 

[tirediron]

...Please take a look at these.

Recipes | Jamie Oliver

And pretty much every one of those has at least some set dressing..., so?

 

[redbourn]

...Please take a look at these.

Recipes | Jamie Oliver

And pretty much every one of those has at least some set dressing..., so?

Dressing yes, but almost 180 degree different concept.

Nearly all Oliver's photos show very minimal props.

And probably most show just the food.

He's selling cookbooks and has already sold $250,000,00 of them and the photos obviously played a major part.

It's not possible to shoot a photo that is good for all promotions/settings.

Just talking about food here but it probably pertains to most kinds of photography.

I believe a food photo for a menu, a cookbook and a restaurant all need to be different.

It's not a one size fits all.

Do you?

And I appreciate your feedback.

 

[tirediron]

...I believe a food photo for a menu, a cookbook and a restaurant all need to be different.

It's not a one size fits all.

Do you?

And I appreciate your feedback.

Potentially - in particular, for a cookbook, I feel (and speaking as someone whose sole cooking utensil is the microwave oven) that the images should show an appealing end result, a food portrait if you will, and just like a human's portrait where you coordinate clothing make-up, jewellery, etc, you need to coordinate the "accessories" or set-dressing for the food.

I am firmly convinced however, that until you start preparing food to photograph, and stop photographing food prepared to eat, you're not going to really progress. You cite Jamie Oliver's books: The imagery is without a doubt, excellent. Do you really think that Jamie photographed those all himself, or that those were meals meant to be eaten AFTER they were photographed? Not a chance!

 

[table1349]

I'm getting a 403 error on all those links Gryph..

The links work

A couple of examples of food photography with well place props.
http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/...staurant-dinner-food-photography-studio-3.jpg

http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DB_7743_GracesKitchen_d_FD_1500.jpg

http://studio3.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/DB_7416_StarPalate_d_30_FD_1500.jpg

The links work for me.

All three are beautiful photos, but would they be good for a cookbook ?

In the first one my eye kept immediately being taken to the glass of whisky.
In the second one it's really hard to focus on the foreground mussels.
The third one works for me.

Again, they are beautiful photos but they look more the type that would be displayed in an ad for a restaurant.

Please take a look at these.

Recipes | Jamie Oliver

They came from a cook book, food photography blog.

What draws my attention to the first one it the missing bite of steak, showing the perfect rare center with the single fork casually placed there as if being set down after eating that bite of steak.

Again in the second one I am first drawn to the bowl with the sea food with the spoon in the bisque, behind the mussels. The overall photo provides to me a sense of good food being eaten.

The third one I believe is more of the style you were striving for. It is an elegant oriental dish on a simple but sharp table cloth with the chopsticks there again ready to be used. Much of all three is the placement.

FYI. If you get the 403, go to the address bar, highlight the address and hit enter, the photos pop up then.

 

[tirediron]

...FYI. If you get the 403, go to the address bar, highlight the address and hit enter, the photos pop up then.

That worked. Weird...

Agreed, you nailed the key points in those images. Really well done phood photography!

 

[enzodm]

I'm no way an expert of food photography, however I like cooking.
If you need some argument to be convinced that photographing eatable food is not sufficient: two things you are missing in a book are taste and smell, and you have to substitute them with some extra punch in photos.
I looked at Jamie Oliver pictures: in half of them there are forks or other decoration, and in general you can see professional expertise - selective focus at first, for example, but also food composition is well made. Your pictures are documents , they show how the real world plate will be for many book readers (this is not a criticism!), but what normally attracts a reader is some high example, even if hard to reach.

 

[nat3wall]

I have nothing to add, just saying those bananas taste amazing.

 

[table1349]

Bananas....BANANAS......those aren't no ordinary stinking bananas. Those are Plantains!

 

[redbourn]

...FYI. If you get the 403, go to the address bar, highlight the address and hit enter, the photos pop up then.

That worked. Weird...

Agreed, you nailed the key points in those images. Really well done phood photography!

But are they good for a cookbook ?

Jamie Oliver grossed $250,000 million on his cookbooks.

A top photographer does his images.

And when it comes to his cookbook photos, the food is the interest and not the props.

Basically everything else distracts unless it's very subtle.

I will leave it at that and try the best that I can to mimic David Loftus.

I can't do it right now because of his experience, his equipment and maybe his talent.

Natant talent can be developed.