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Cake Photography--Please Help

B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
edited September 20, 2006 in Technique
I'm doing some cake's shoots and I'm having problems with my composition, I have never done this before, any recomendations? I have three fluorescent lamps and what else do I need? do I use AV or TV or Manual?

Thank you :D

Byron M.
"... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth

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    JBurtJBurt Registered Users Posts: 175 Major grins
    edited August 6, 2006
    B:// wrote:
    I'm doing some cake's shoots and I'm having problems with my composition, I have never done this before, any recomendations? I have three fluorescent lamps and what else do I need? do I use AV or TV or Manual?

    Thank you :D

    Byron M.
    Experiment - experiment - experiment.
    And
    Read - read - read.
    You have a digital camera, all it will cost you is time.

    You are trying to do things with no money, so, you will have to be really creative.

    A light tent would probably be best and there are threads here on Dgrin discussing building your own. Do a search for light tent.

    One lowcost light tent I recently read about was to turn a cardtable on its side and drape it with a white sheet.

    Remember Google is your friend.
    Tis sometimes better to be a big fish in a small pond than to be shark bait.

    http://jburtphotos.com
    http://jburtphotos.smugmug.com
    Basic but makin' changes
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    Shay StephensShay Stephens Registered Users Posts: 3,165 Major grins
    edited August 6, 2006
    What qualities of the cake are you trying to illustrate? Shape? Texture? Color? Why are you shooting cake shots? What is it for? Do you need to be literal or are you trying to evoke a mood?
    Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest
    "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie
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    rjpatrjpat Registered Users Posts: 248 Major grins
    edited August 6, 2006
    And to quote Andy, "watch your background".
    Ron

    We never know how something we say, do, or think today, will effect the lives of millions tomorrow....BJ Palmer
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    B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    I was looking out for details, I had no idea what I would be shooting, so I didn't had the pre-concept to work with, it was just me, the cakes and the moment, and whatever was laying around, hahaha, here are some of them, those are my firsts, so I think they're not good enough, but let that be a start, hehehe, thank you, let me know what you think, bye.

    Byron M.

    IMG_1293.jpg
    "... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth
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    B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    Cake No.2
    IMG_1555.jpg
    "... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth
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    B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    Cake No.3
    IMG_1419.jpg
    "... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth
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    B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    Cake No.4

    IMG_1360.jpg
    "... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth
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    B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    Cake No.5
    IMG_1351.jpg
    "... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth
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    B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    Cake No.6
    IMG_1502.jpg
    "... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth
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    B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    Cake No.7
    IMG_1571.jpg




    There are more, but I just have time to upload these, because I hate resizing all my images, hahaha, I need a Smugmug rolleyes1.gif

    Byron M.:D
    "... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth
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    ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 23,915 moderator
    edited August 7, 2006
    Food Photography
    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=37452

    The "Brooks Short" link is a great mini-tutorial to one of his setups.

    ziggy53
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    Shay Stephens wrote:
    What qualities of the cake are you trying to illustrate?
    Its inherent "cakeness." The quality of being a cake.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 7, 2006
    B:// wrote:
    I was looking out for details, I had no idea what I would be shooting, so I didn't had the pre-concept to work with, it was just me, the cakes and the moment, and whatever was laying around, hahaha, here are some of them, those are my firsts, so I think they're not good enough, but let that be a start, hehehe, thank you, let me know what you think, bye.

    Byron M.

    IMG_1293.jpg
    This one's nice, save perhaps for the fork. The fruit has a nice shape, texture and color.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    B://B:// Registered Users Posts: 274 Major grins
    edited August 9, 2006
    I thought I had many bad photos, but then I reconsidered the fact that maybe cropping some of them would do the trick to take something good out of them, and here's a little example of that... at least that's what I thought.


    Lemon Pie:
    IMG_1519-res.jpg


    Byron M. :D
    "... anger, frustration, deception, loneliness are its meal... don't feed him" - Donatto on Zeoneth
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    ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 23,915 moderator
    edited August 9, 2006
    Looks great to me, yummy too.:food

    ziggy53
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
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    SloYerRollSloYerRoll Registered Users Posts: 2,788 Major grins
    edited September 1, 2006
    B:// wrote:
    Cake No.5
    IMG_1351.jpg

    Byron,
    cake No.5 has a wisk in it.
    Is there a reason you are incorporating precake and post cake?
    (cake creation and cake eating in the same shot)
    There is definite possibility to evoke a thought w/ the wisk being added.
    Just picking your brain to see what you were thinking.

    -Slo
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    JamieCJamieC Registered Users Posts: 154 Major grins
    edited September 2, 2006
    JBurt wrote:
    You are trying to do things with no money, so, you will have to be really creative.
    Ahh yes.. no money! The best teacher ever! My lack of $$ in the past taught me how to do things I am sure I never would have learned had I been able to rely on "equipment"... especially lighting!

    Jamie
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    ESigginsESiggins Registered Users Posts: 185 Major grins
    edited September 6, 2006
    ...Nice
    Dude, these look good to me. I think the wisk is fine if the shot will be used to advertise a baker or something, but maybe not a restaurant. Either way, I worked in food service for a long time and I don't find it distracting.

    There's not much going on in the one of the apple pie, and the cake itself gets lost in the one with the candles. Maybe just too much DoF? But the rest look great, really sharp and good color. I like that you played around with different props and backgrounds and focal lengths, good stuff.

    Fred.
    Shoot, or shoot not. There is no try.
    http://esiggins.smugmug.com
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    SloYerRollSloYerRoll Registered Users Posts: 2,788 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2006
    ESiggins wrote:
    I think the wisk is fine if the shot will be used to advertise a baker or something, but maybe not a restaurant. Either way, I worked in food service for a long time and I don't find it distracting.

    Cullinary school here and found out I wanted a life after I graduated and was working 100+ hour weeks.
    Old habits die hard. It's still tough for me to not disect my dining expercience any time I go out to eat.

    -Jon
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