Blog | 45 - Focus On Food Photography
| bokeh photographic (Alistair Grant): Food & Drink Photographer; Commercial Photographer, Product Photographer & Packshot Photographer; Event Photographer; Portrait Photographer; Corporate Photographer & PR Photographer; Engagement Photographer & Wedding Photographer and Photography Training Courses in Cambridge, Huntingdon, Peterborough, Bedford, St Neots, St Ives and London. Freelance Photographer & Freelance Photography Services in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and across the UK. | |||
 
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Alistair Grant Freelance Photographer Cambridge & London |
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bokeh photographic: Blog No: 45 → TIP: Click any image to view in LightBox |
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Focus On: Food & Drink Photography Throughout 2018 in a ‘Focus On’ series I aim to showcase some of the key services I offer as a Freelance Photographer including: Commercial Photography & Product Photography; Corporate Photography & PR Photography; Portrait Photography & Active Portraiture; Event Photography and maybe a little something on Wedding Photography. However, I’m starting the series with the spotlight on Food & Drink Photography (hereafter abbreviated to FDP). Contrary to what you might expect this post isn’t about the importance of FDP. If you are a food or drink company and don’t regard FDP as an essential requirement for business let’s just mark you down as a lost cause! Of course we all engage in FDP these days thanks to Instagram. It has to be said nevertheless that the cutting-edge aspect of posting images of meals has somewhat blunted now that large-scale concerns have taken up the trend. Although we all do it, Instagram is, IMHO, not ‘proper’ FDP. This is not simply due to the limited optics of mobile phone cameras. It’s also that the ubiquitous filters superimposed upon pictures actually distort the source image. Try viewing a magnified Instagram on a large screen and you’ll see what I mean. It’s often reported that FDP is tricky which is the reason why a lot of professional photographers avoid it; something to bear in mind if you’re a considering a DIY shoot? If I’m honest I’m not entirely sure that FDP is unduly difficult. However, it’s important not to overlook the fact that shooting FDP requires advance preparation - lots of it - in addition to meticulous technique. It's certainly not for those who prefer quick-fire (Eats, Shoots & Leaves?) reportage. That’s not to say FDP requires indiscriminate post-production, at least not in my book, and for the record I never shoot fake, contrived or artificially doctored foodstuffs substituting, for example, sunscreen lotion for milk, adding motor oil to impart a sheen, or painting fruit to make it more vibrant. The reason is twofold. Firstly, although the practice is widespread amongst fellow photographers, what message does this send out to producers i.e. that without adulteration their food is somehow not quite good enough? After all, consumers don’t seem to have a problem. Secondly, I enjoy sampling what I photograph and a spritz of WD40 or the like just isn’t my taste! Rather than duplicating the information on my FDP Landing and Portfolio pages (although it's worth pointing out I provide comprehensive coverage across the entire industry) it's probably more interesting to briefly touch on my approach to FDP. As already highlighted I put a lot of advance thought into how to optimally portray the food I am commissioned to photograph. In particular, how best to make food look enticing without resorting to ‘food porn’ (a phrase I utterly detest!) by only photographing highly tempting yet profoundly unhealthy foods laden with sugar, salt and fat. Apart from systematic ways of presenting food on the plate - supporting the notion that food styling is a real science - careful choice of photographic kit helps produce images that stimulate activation of multiple physiological responses associated with desire, an important mediator in people purchasing and consuming food. Without giving away trade secrets glass selection is one of my most important considerations. Despite what might be claimed there isn’t a ‘magic’ lens; not even the feted 50mm prime. I tend to use a different range of focal lengths compared to other photographers including, for instance, an 85mm f/1.2 with 13/21/31mm extension tubes. I’m also unusual when it comes to choice of light modifiers; as far as I am aware I’m the only photographer shooting FDP with a beauty dish! On that note, I do shoot ambient but only when natural light is good enough. During the winter months the quality of window light is often lacking and many FDP shoots take place in the bowels of a restaurant where of course there are no windows! |
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Call Alistair Grant on 07775 365507, Email [email protected] or click Booking Enquiries if you have any questions or would like to make a booking. |
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bokeh: "the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens" Freelance Photographer offering Food & Drink Photography Cambridge; Commercial Photography Cambridge, Product Photography Cambridge & Packshot Photography Cambridge; Event Photography Cambridge; Portrait Photography Cambridge; Corporate Photography Cambridge & PR Photography Cambridge; Engagement Photography Cambridge & Wedding Photography Cambridge and Photography Training Courses in Cambridge. Also covering: Huntingdon, St. Ives, Ramsey, St. Neots, Peterborough, Bedford, Stamford, Newmarket, Sawtry, Alconbury Weston, Brampton, Hartford, Warboys, Houghton, Wyton, Godmanchester, Hilton, Hemingford Grey, Hemingford Abbots, Fenstanton, Whittesley, Yaxley, Needingworth, Somersham, Chatteris, Ely, Bar Hill, Grafham and Buckden. |
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bokeh photographic - Alistair Grant | Freelance Photographer | Cambridge, London, UK Food & Drink Photography | Commercial Photography & Product Photography | Corporate Photography & PR Photography | Portrait Photography (inc. 'Active Portraiture', 'Naturally You' & 'Poptraits') | Event Photography | Engagement & Wedding Photography | Photography Training Courses & Camera Tuition | Videography & Film Production Tel: 07775 365507 | Email: [email protected] |
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