Secrets of food photography

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jan/04/food-stylist-photography-tricks-advertising

by edward • 11 years ago

56 14 11 years ago

theguardian.com

dharma1• 11 years ago

It really is all about the lighting, presentation and a decent macro lens.

My favourite food cinematographers:

http://foodfilm.fr

Incredible stuff. Filmed with Red Epics mostly in slow motion, these guys really understand lighting and choreography

stats_lly• 11 years ago

Totally agreed! Their M&S ads are just irresistible!

StavrosK• 11 years ago

It really is all about the lighting, presentation and a decent macro lens.

That pretty much sums up all of photography, though. It's like saying "programming is all about structuring the code". The devil is in the details.

dingaling• 11 years ago

and a decent macro lens.

Often a tilt-shift lens. That's how they place the plane of focus horizontally across a plate so that the food is in crisp focus but the table is softened.

Most photography is nowadays done with vertical planes of focus ( thanks for nothing, SLRs ) but choosing your plane used to be as integral as choosing shutter speed and aperture.

amelius• 11 years ago

This reminded me of the hamburger scene in the movie "Falling Down" with Michael Douglas: [1]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJs9p-VNORw

branchless2• 11 years ago

15 submissions for theguardian.com in the last 24 hours to HN.

I really am thinking about not bothering so much.

marincounty• 11 years ago

If this was my website. The software would reject too many submissions from the same website.

branchless2• 11 years ago

It's spammy. No way has the guardian produced 15 thought-provoking articles in the last 24 hours. I doubt it has in the last 24 weeks.

I also have a hard time believing that 15 people who have no vested interest in the Guardian have decided having read these that others must see it too.

probably_wrong• 11 years ago

McDonalds made a video[1] in which they show how a typical photo shoot for a hamburger. All elements in that video are actual stuff that you can eat (unless the one mentioned in the article), but it's hard to say whether that's how they always do it or if they just made an exception for the video.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSd0keSj2W8

chiph• 11 years ago

Everything you get on the burger is there in the photo (pickles, onions, ketchup), but it's been pushed to the side of the bun closest to the camera to make it more visually attractive. So honest in one sense (everything is shown that will be on your burger), but misleading in that the burger that you buy won't be nearly as attractive.

jgeada• 11 years ago

Not just "won't be nearly as attractive".

We assume that food of that type (burger, sandwich, etc) will be symmetrical: if it has visible lettuce etc on the side you're seeing, one assumes that the density will be equal everywhere else, meaning not only the other side, but also on the underneath the bun. The image is false not just because the picture is "more attractive", it is false because it is implying a density of ingredients that just isn't there.

This is just plain false advertising, no more, no less.

Elvie• 11 years ago

Reminds me of an old German site where they photographed food in advertising vs reality

http://www.pundo3000.com/werbunggegenrealitaet3000.htm

Many food companies now feature windows on their packaging to prevent this disparity showing transparency in their foods.

isabelrotton• 11 years ago

Never believe in Photos! Photos gives no truths nowadays. We knew the photos of food are fake a long time ago. Now, even the human portraits are fake. There are too many PS apps developed in Asia to make people look more beautiful.

Secrets of food photography

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