My research led me to Beatrice Peltre, photographer and food stylist at La Tartine Gourmande.
Bea started her own blog in November 2005 talking about her first attempts at food photography. She has since published her own cookbook, La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life, with nearly 100 recipes and charming anecdotes. I was drawn the brightness of her images and how she shows off fresh produce in the best possible light.
Image courtesy of Beatrice Peltre
The primary aim of food photography is to make that food irresistible to the viewer. In addition to the technology they use, the photographer can use colour and texture to create a sensory experience. You can also play around with depth of field, the whole image doesn't have to be in focus. Experiment with what you include in the frame, you may not want to include the whole dish, think about flaunting the best part of the food. And, be daring with your props.
Taking inspiration from Be a, I styled the image below for my client-based assignment. It is a seasonal dish of pheasant, rocoto chillies, blackberries and salad leaves. The blackberries instantly make me think of the end of summer and going blackberry picking as a kid, the purple stain on your fingers and sweet taste of the berries.
Set Up
The equipment and settings I used were:- Canon EOS 5D Mark iii
- Canon EF 24-105mm lens
- f4
- 1/125sec.
- ISO100
I used Elinchrome location lights to light the food as the natural light at the location was quite dull. I used a white umbrella with the lights to diffuse the harshness.
I found it really helpful to plan my ideas for styling ahead of time so I can start to think about the colours, the plates I'll use, the ingredients. For this dish I used a bright green background to contrast with the purple radicchio leaves and red of the chillies.
Warm Pheasant Salad
Have fun with your own food photography. I'd love to hear about how you got on, and don't forget to share your photos in the comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment