I'm Not Real Thrilled...

jandrewnelson

...with the way this turned out.



How can I improve it? I think the problems with it are obvious.

Thanks in advance for the help and suggestions

Jerry
www.Meesoon.smugmug.com

pathfinder

Harsh light with completely blown highlights.

Softer light with a better choice of exposure settings. You may need a second light or reflector to help decrease the contrast range on the plate.

Was this shot in RAW? If so, can any of the blown highlight details be salvaged in Raw processing, perhaps?

Tee Why

It looks overexposed to me. Next time check the histogram and if it is over exposed turn down the EVC and reshoot till the exposure looks right.

If you were using flash, diffuse the light more by bouncing it or using a diffuser of some sort.

leaforte

Agree with the above, but the plating is nice and deserves the photo.

jandrewnelson

Thanks for the help and tips so far. I just spoke with the nightclub owner and he's graciously given me the chance for a "do-over"...so I'd appreciate ANY AND ALL additional tips, hints and ideas to make it work this time.

I won't repost the picture as you see it above, but the gallery in which this picture is included is: http://www.journeyamerica.org/Places/MoDaddys/9441893_c3w2i/1/633117305_tR8RA

Thanks again and blessings
Jerry
www.meesoon.smugmug.com

ziggy53

Jerry,

Food photography is a very specialized, and particularly difficult, type of product photography. Until you understand and get control over lighting direction, lighting softness and hardness (and when to use each) and lighting ratios, as well as light color and tint, it's just not going to happen. Once you gain control over the light, you need to work on "styling" the food. (More than food preparation, it's how to make food "look" apetizing.)

First, practice at home. Now that you know what foods are involved, try to find foods at home with similar texture and tone. It doesn't have to be identical to the restaurant's food. Until you can achieve control over the processes at home, you won't have a chance under the pressures of a real shoot.

Work with the key light first. Try to determine the best location and orientation to produce shadows that show depth and dimension. Most of the "form" of the food comes from the key light.

Now introduce some fill light. Fill light adds contrast control as well as adding some extra "rim" to the side of the food opposing the key light. Reflectors may be used to provide fill and are often effective.

Now decide if you need some "specular highlights". These often add a sense of freshness as well as helping to define some shapes. Food styling often works in conjunction with a small, direct flash to provide these elements where needed.

Finally consider a combination of filtration and white balance to set the mood for the dish. Filtration may be applied to any of the lights, depending upon the exact effect you desire and the mood you wish to set.

This may be the time to tweak any lighting diffusion and/or lighting distances and angles as well.

Ultimately, "piping hot" steam effects and such may need to be applied in post using organic digital effects, although some photographers do keep a microwave (and/or heat gun) handy to "top off" the temperature of the food and try to get some steam naturally.

Caveat:
http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=20959&postcount=7

General (follow the links in the post on the first two)
http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=20886&postcount=5
http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=20885&postcount=4

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=009xtA (Brooks Short)
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2004/09/15/food_photos.html
http://www.shutterbug.com/features/1204insider/
http://www.foodportfolio.com/blog/index.html (scroll down to the middle of the page)
http://www.silverace.com/photogenic/0204/foodphotography.html

pathfinder

jandrewnelson wrote:

...with the way this turned out.



How can I improve it? I think the problems with it are obvious.

Thanks in advance for the help and suggestions

Jerry
www.Meesoon.smugmug.com

The lower left corner is brighter than the rest of the image, drawing my eye from the food.

There is something black in the upper right - salt shaker or candle holder or something - that does not need to be there, next to the blown highlights on the table offending my eye again.

In this type of shooting ( in any professional shooting for that matter ) you are responsible for every thing in the frame including in the corners. This is almost a direct quote from Jay Maisel.

I think you need to only include the plate and the table it is on, unless you want a much wider view to display the lovely plate in the restauraunt as a background.

AuroraBB

Angles, intensity and tonal range ...
The main light beyond the upper-right corner is way too close. Its producing a very high ratio of contrast and is at an angle that produces a high degree of reflection off the plate and directly into the lens.

There is no effective "fill-light" being directed from the lower-left and into the shadows.

If the main light had been positioned lower to the plane of the plate's surface, reflections off its surface wouldn't have bounced directly into the lens. This approach would have required a well diffused second light source from the lower-left in order to partially illuminate the resulting shadows. The intent of this revised arrangement is to produce less contrast across the entire subject .. more even lighting, with discernible details in both highlights and shadows.

Unfortunately the original has excessive reflections, burned-out highlights and murky shadows.