Mussels :)

[Starskream666]

Theres no food section so ill post here. I was looking through this Rick Stein food book from india and all the photos were amazing. I noticed all the pictures of the actual dishes had a similar style and layout. They would include things like the instruments used in the dish and a few spices lying about so I had a go at trying to copy that look and I like it.
Obviously not as interesting as a picture in india with the backgrounds and colours and what not

6D, 50mm 1.8

 

[Starskream666]

C und C?

 

[JoeW]

C und C?

I think this has potential. And thanks for sharing with us. But I'm thrown by a couple of things in the photo:
1. The sides of the table/island/chopping block. By including them on the right and bottom they're jarring and distracting.
2. B/c of the lighting, the mussel shells tend to disappear into the colander. I think this would end up being a much better photo if you put them in a shallow, wide, white bowl. Or another color (light red--to contrast with the black without quite so much dynamic range).
3. It's often common in food photography to include utensils or implements. The challenge with the knife you've got in here is: (a) it's cut off and (b) it's a bit big for eating or preparing mussels. I think it would work better with one of those small forks or a smaller knife.
4. One more hint: I was always told that the best food photos tell a story in one picture. Don't just shoot a picture of a piece of apple pie, instead cut a slide and then have one bite missing with a fork on the plate and a steaming cup of coffee near by (as if someone's dessert was interrupted by a phone call). Don't just take a picture of the cookie, put it next to a cup of milk and a note to Santa. So don't just look to take a picture of some tasty food, try to take a picture that tells a story. That's why "food prep" staging can be so effective, it can say "wow....you caught me just as I was finishing the prep on this tasty meal" and the spices and tools around can basically give you the recipe.
5. Last of all, it's popular with food photography to use a narrow DoF. But unlike a portrait (where you might have the foreground and background in blur), with food photography (at least according to my preferences), you don't want the foreground or closest objects to be blurry. So given the angle you're shooting from, the top of the colander needs to be in-focus as well as the mussels.

Personally, I'd recompose this shot. Put the mussels in the shallow, wide bowl. Add some crusty french bread by the side (so we can see flakes of crust torn off). Shoot it at a 30 degree angle from the side and allow us to see steam from the hot mussels rising in to the air.

 

[qleak]

Obviously not as interesting as a picture in india with the backgrounds and colours and what not

IMHO, you're limiting yourself by thinking that being in a more exotic environment will give you better pictures. The skills required to produce stunning pictures in India are the same skills required to produce stunning pictures in Indiana (or Yorkshire for that matter).

Cheers

 

[Designer]

I'm not familiar with Yorkshire cuisine, but you can spark things up with styling your food. For instance; in the mussels shot, see how the green chili stands our from the color of the mussels? That is what you do if the food needs some color. Use your imagination.

Styling food is an art in itself, and there are actually professional food stylists earning their living at it. It's something you need to either learn or pay for.

 

[Stormchase]

All i can look at is the one on the bottom right. Looks to be floating and it has something to say to me. Or .. maybe i should put the beer down.

 

[Rick58]

Just a couple points
I see the sightest touch of haze. I'd bump up the contrast and saturation a click or two
There's a white bit of something on the knife
I'm really not sure what I'm seeing above the knife. Not knowing what it is, I spend all my time trying to figure it out.

 

[Starskream666]

C und C?

I think this has potential. And thanks for sharing with us. But I'm thrown by a couple of things in the photo:
1. The sides of the table/island/chopping block. By including them on the right and bottom they're jarring and distracting.
2. B/c of the lighting, the mussel shells tend to disappear into the colander. I think this would end up being a much better photo if you put them in a shallow, wide, white bowl. Or another color (light red--to contrast with the black without quite so much dynamic range).
3. It's often common in food photography to include utensils or implements. The challenge with the knife you've got in here is: (a) it's cut off and (b) it's a bit big for eating or preparing mussels. I think it would work better with one of those small forks or a smaller knife.
4. One more hint: I was always told that the best food photos tell a story in one picture. Don't just shoot a picture of a piece of apple pie, instead cut a slide and then have one bite missing with a fork on the plate and a steaming cup of coffee near by (as if someone's dessert was interrupted by a phone call). Don't just take a picture of the cookie, put it next to a cup of milk and a note to Santa. So don't just look to take a picture of some tasty food, try to take a picture that tells a story. That's why "food prep" staging can be so effective, it can say "wow....you caught me just as I was finishing the prep on this tasty meal" and the spices and tools around can basically give you the recipe.
5. Last of all, it's popular with food photography to use a narrow DoF. But unlike a portrait (where you might have the foreground and background in blur), with food photography (at least according to my preferences), you don't want the foreground or closest objects to be blurry. So given the angle you're shooting from, the top of the colander needs to be in-focus as well as the mussels.

Personally, I'd recompose this shot. Put the mussels in the shallow, wide bowl. Add some crusty french bread by the side (so we can see flakes of crust torn off). Shoot it at a 30 degree angle from the side and allow us to see steam from the hot mussels rising in to the air.

Wow really helpful advice, cheers

 

[Starskream666]

Just a couple points
I see the sightest touch of haze. I'd bump up the contrast and saturation a click or two
There's a white bit of something on the knife
I'm really not sure what I'm seeing above the knife. Not knowing what it is, I spend all my time trying to figure it out.

that white haze you're referring to I actually added intentionally as it was present in most of the shots in the book