Product Photography

I recently got my very first food photography assignment from Red Dot Cafe, for some publicity shots of their range of servings ranging from cakes to coffees. Considering the lack of equipment and limited time it ended up being a pretty good shoot. Of course, it did have some shortcomings which I later realized and fixed in subsequent shoots, but overall it went well.

Its interesting what a simple off-camera flash, tripod and a couple of empty white cake boxes can do to control light.  One thing I did realize is, wide-angle rocks. Its just amazing how it helps emphasize certain aspects of the food while not looking like it was simply cropped out of a bigger picture.

Shooting high-key as opposed to simply using a shallow Depth of Field in my opinion gives the client more versatility and flexibility when using them, but of course there are times when the food isn’t everything, and the client wants more than just the product. For example some clients may want to show off their fancy new interior decorations along with their products. So its always best to consult the client on these matters.

So, one tip I’d give to someone who’s interested in similar styled shots, go wide. VERY wide! And another is, dont be afraid to experiment with lighting. It’s everything that makes the photograph unique!

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