Blog | 57 - Taste Test
| Freelance Photographer in St Ives Cambridgeshire: Food & Drink Photography; Commercial Photography, Product Photography & Packshot Photography; Event Photography; Portrait Photography; Corporate Photography & PR Photography; Engagement Photography & Wedding Photography and Photography Training Courses in Cambridge, Huntingdon, Peterborough, Bedford, Ely, St Neots, St Ives and London. Professional Photography Services in St Ives, St Neots, Huntingdon, Bedford, Peterborough, Ely & Cambridge. | |||
 
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Alistair Grant Freelance Photographer Cambridge & London |
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bokeh photographic: Blog No: 57 → TIP: Click any image to view in LightBox |
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Taste Test Most people are surprised to learn the greatest amount of time spent by any competent photographer is on close observation as opposed to pressing the shutter button. In fact, observation should not only occur when taking exposures but before even thinking about picking up the camera. Only by observing a scene can a photographer make accurate decisions about how best to capture whatever is about to be photographed. Astonishingly this is overlooked in most photography training courses so I place great emphasis on observational skills in the bokeh photographic Introduction to Photography and other training sessions. In doing so I directly tackle the prevalent ‘don’t worry – let’s just fix it in Photoshop’ approach adopted by almost every contemporary photography magazine, book and online learning forum. I simply don’t have the time or inclination to address entirely avoidable problems in software. Most crucially, as a professional photographer I have the knowledge that not everything can be satisfactorily resolved in software. The observational skills of a good photographer transfer to other aspects of photography. For example, as a time-served Food & Drink Photographer I have previously written about how imagery has changed over time from, to use an example, the strong shadows and overtly warm red, yellow & orange tones of 1970’s food & drink photography. Anyone comparing a modern image with a 1970’s food & drink image would notice they are different but perhaps not discern the precise ways in which the images are different. Some trends are less obvious. The industry standard for drink photography used to be bottle and glass side by side in full focus. The trend then changed to having the bottle slightly set back with, although still decipherable, the label slightly out of focus NB: the reasoning was that by making the viewer expend mental effort to work out what the bottle was the brand would be ‘sticky’ (memorable) to the viewer. Next up was shots of whatever was in the bottle being poured into the glass (with the label in full view which often necessitated changing the label’s position on the bottle) only to be replaced by the current on-trend setup of ‘bottle in hand’. All the above are subtle but important on-trend changes. Although any competent photographer will ensure they have input into such styling decisions they are largely driven by manufacturers & producers, who are directed by marketeers, who are in turn influenced by the growing body of behavioural science literature. What has always struck me is that the accepted norms of food & drink photography do very little to enhance the taste experience and in some instances actually detract from the flavour of products. In terms of drinks: plain (i.e. non-textured) glassware yields minimal tactile feedback that might enhance the taste of a product; filling drinks to the brim minimises the circulation space for molecules that stimulate taste (and perhaps more importantly smell) receptors; and ice effectively numbs smell/taste receptors which in part explains why so much salt and sugar is added to associated foods. The latest styling trend, prompted in no small way by the BBC Blue Planet II, also involves a subtle but important change. Most of my clients are in the process of making the switch from plastic to paper straws if they haven’t done so already. A great positive move for the environment. Unfortunately, in terms of the taste experience a better move would be to ditch straws altogether. A straw is undoubtedly the most efficient mechanism for bypassing the most critically important taste receptors. So my tip next time you order a cold drink is to ignore the marketing images and lose the straw if you want to enhance the taste experience. |
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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 - Creative Natural Photography And Outstanding Customer Service At Competitive Prices - 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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