Food Photo 101: Photography for Foodies
Posted on Nov 02 in Food Photo 101, Food Porn, photographyby NikaPrint
This is the first in what will be a series of posts that I will be producing in concert with the lovely Curt from the delicious BBQ and bread blog called Bucky’s Barbecue and Bread.
Course Objective:
To guide interested budding food photographers through the technical and creative barriers they may be experiencing with their Point and Shoot (P&S) or DSLR cameras.
We will cover:
- hardware (cameras, lighting, computers, other tech)
- software (capture and post processing tools)
- wetware (food styling)
- creative aspects (composition, lighting dynamics, etc)
Philosophy:
- We are going to do this in a way that, we hope, gives you something you can use right away.
- I think its important for people to not feel “disadvantaged” by having a P&S beause these cameras actually have quite a lot of capability that many people never really explore.
- We will cover topics in a way that hopefully makes you feel more comfortable with your P&S or DSLR.
- I do not know everything, no one does.
- I have much to learn from you.
Reading List:
There is ONE book I will ask you to read, slowly, cover to cover. This would be the MANUAL to your camera. I suggest reading it several times and have it on hand whenever you are shooting your food or other subjects (maybe not at the theme park, but at home). I like to sit on the couch with my camera and my manual and go through each section and manually perform each operation as I read the manual. Simply reading it is a start but purposeful practice (fiddling) will pay off more than 100%, I promise you.
Attendance:
I want to make sure at least one message gets through – we want your participation. I have created a flickr group for this series (Food Photo 101) and I want to see your photos!
I have also created a discussion area here on this blog called “Class Forum” where you can post your questions and your images and we all can discuss them (depending on your participation!). It will ask you to register, please do. That information just goes into my wordpress administration system and nowhere else.
If you would like to simply sign up as a participant in this activity (without signing up for the discussion area) and receive a weekly newsletter that reviews that week’s topic, fill out the contact form at the bottom of this post (or on the Food Photo 101 page) and type “Food Photo 101″ in the subject field.
Methods – the logistics of the Photography for Foodies series are as follows:
- Each entry will be about one aspect of food photography, and when it makes sense, the topics will build on each other.
- We’ll explain the topic, and I will go into how to achieve the results for that topic.
- Once I go through the topic, Curt will then try to go through the lesson, showing not just the how-to part, but the how-did part (or didn’t!).
Timing – The target is for me to publish a new post that includes a discussion and assignment on Tuesdays (I will also post it to the Food Photo 101 page on this blog). Curt (and others who wish to participate) will publish his (their) entry on Thursday with his work and his impressions. We will both do a wrap up post on Sunday where we show what people have submitted at the Food Photo 101 flickr group. If you like, please email me a link to your post (like Curt’s) where you talk about how it went for you. I will post those links on Sunday too.
Technorati Tags: Curt, Bucky’s Barbecue and Bread, food photographer, technical, creative, barriers, Point and Shoot, P&S, DSLR, camera, hardware, computer, software, capture, post processing, tools, wetware, food styling, composition, lighting, dynamic, Philosophy, capability, manual, purposeful, practice, participation, flickr group, Food Photo 101, Class Forum, food photography, discussion
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[...] making us feel even more inspired.Rationale:As I mentioned in the first post in this series (Food Photo 101: Photography for Foodies), I strongly believe that there is quite a lot of capability in your average low-cost digicam or [...]
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[...] I mentioned in the first post in this series (Food Photo 101: Photography for Foodies), I strongly believe that there is quite a lot of capability in your average low-cost digicam or [...]
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[...] Food Photo 101: Photography for Foodies [...]
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Nika,
This is wonderful!! I can’t wait to share this with my readers!!
Kewlness, this is going to be lots of fun
Nika, I am going to add this to a post I just wrote yesterday at Blogher if that is ok with you. I wish I had time to participate myself, but right now I am barely hanging on by my fingernails with the schedule I have. (I need to quit my day job!)
Nika, this sounds like a wonderful project. I dougt I’ll have time to do the homework part, but I will be reading and learning each week. Hats off to you and Curt!
Kalyn: Its definitely ok. You can also use the logo if you wish, that is opensource, to be used by anyone. I know what you mean re: schedule! This will be a resource for you to use when ever you have the time.. its not going to go away (gotta love the web) so you use it when you need to.
Your day job is one I have tried and know I could not do! Doing it has reduced me to tears on various occasions
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Lydia: It has been Curt’s patient insistence that has been instrumental in my doing this. I do not think I would want to do this on my own! He is the best. You dont have to DO the homework
Just follow along where it helps you!
This sounds great — just what I need. Thanks to both of you for undertaking this!
I’m in! I’m a newbie food blogger and photography has never been my strong suit. I can’t wait to learn from you and Curt!
count me in. I am always interested in improving my photography skill. Thanks for doing this. By the way, the food photography 101 logo is lovely
I can’t wait! The day I picked up a camera and started clicking away is the day the entire look of startcooking.com was defined. The problem is that I know nothing about photography! I fiddle with the dials, read the manual, hold my breath and pray that the photos are going to work. At a snails pace, the light begins to dawn and some things have actually started to make sense! For two years now I have wanted to take a photography class but have never found the time. So now the student is ready and the teacher has appeared! Thank you so much for doing this!
I am so excited to get this great advice and practical tips. I know my camera has capabilities I haven’t used and your expertise willl hopefully help me make my food look as delicious as it is!
Susan: you are very welcome!
Miss Scarlett: Excellent plan on the running for cupcakes! Welcome!
Mandy: thnx for joining and the compliment on the logo! I guess I was on a PS binge that day
Your food is beautiful! I am looking forward to seeing the progress of everyone here, am so excited about it.
Kathy: I am so glad that you will be joining us. Your photography is excellent already hon. You have this wonderful talent of an “airy” ambience on your site and photos. You have what a lot of people signing up for this course have – tenacity!
Deborah: Welcome! I thought I was busy, until I read your blog! I need some productivity tips (or a housekeeper but who can afford that!)
Thanks for sharing the knowledge and putting the course together.
Nika and Curt, thank you so much. I keep blaming my camera but between you, me and the blogosphere I just don’t know what I’m doing so need all the help I can get. I will try to participate as much as possible.
African Vanielja: Great to have you!
I can’t wait, this should be very informative. Of course, it means I have to try to remember where I put the manual for my camera, but I’ll find it!
Which camera do you have? I will put the link to the camera manual in the forums.
I don’t know off hand but I’ll check when I get home. It’s a Sony Digital, but not sure of the model number. Thank you!