Menu Cake Shot

[leaveit]

Had a go at trying a food shot for a menu. Cake: chocolate almond with berry mix + thick country cream. Lighting: 4 downlights at 50w each. PP: just a little white balance play (or so I recall)
Let me know if its any good. Any C+C welcome. Thanks for lookin.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y194/leaveit287/IMG_66951.jpg

[staciecd]

I don't like the fork - the gold on it is a bit distracting. The fruit seems to be the main focus - I wish that the whole plate was a bit more in focus.

Stacie

[Jcharro]

I really like it, honestly somebody looking at a menu just focuses on the food pic. but Photographers like us have different views, so I have to agree with staciecd about the fork it is a bit distracting. Everything else looks perfect.

[rlhphotos]

Id get rid of the fork too..and make the whole thing more in focus..the back of the plate seems a little bright or something..It might just be because of the fork.

[leaveit]

I don't like the fork - the gold on it is a bit distracting. The fruit seems to be the main focus - I wish that the whole plate was a bit more in focus.

Stacie

The gold i can make go. But is it the gold or the fork in general that distracts you? The focus issue i cant help unfortunatelly. The shot was taken at F/4.5. Thank for the comments.

I really like it, honestly somebody looking at a menu just focuses on the food pic. but Photographers like us have different views, so I have to agree with staciecd about the fork it is a bit distracting. Everything else looks perfect.

Thanks for the kind words. Yeah im getting a general jist about the fork (it was a BAD idea - i just thought it would give the pic a less sterile feel). Does the picture makes you wanna eat the cake???

Id get rid of the fork too..and make the whole thing more in focus..the back of the plate seems a little bright or something..It might just be because of the fork.

Damn that fork!!!

[SWPhotoImaging]

I think I'd have gone for a deeper DOF.

[madferrit]

What distracts me from the fork is that it looks too posh for a simple cake and fruit dessert.. need something more plain, and contemporary.

I'd like to see more of the fruit in focus, and perhaps having a little single/ double cream in the plate might take away from the shadows on the plate.

Good stuff though, keep it up :)

[srwafu]

I'd order that off a menu...


then again Id order any cake from a menu........ I love cake.....

*goes off to eat cake*

[misskitty5077]

Does the picture makes you wanna eat the cake???





If I can have mine without the blueberries ;)

Also note, I don't normally eat cake. I just don't like it. Yet that is a piece I definately want to try :)

For a menu, the pic will work well. After all, you just sold me, the non-cake-eater, a piece :lol:

[ghostgull]

I really like it. Though I agree that a touch more depth of field, but I'd keep the fork. but put the handle towards the customer. :)

I wish the company I work for made cake instead of computers then I could spend all day taking pictures like that, what a job that would be :lol:.

Did you get to eat it afterwards?

[leaveit]

I think I'd have gone for a deeper DOF.

Yeah, good point. Thanks

What distracts me from the fork is that it looks too posh for a simple cake and fruit dessert.. need something more plain, and contemporary.

I'd like to see more of the fruit in focus, and perhaps having a little single/ double cream in the plate might take away from the shadows on the plate.

Good stuff though, keep it up :)

Thats a good idea. But the cake is a kinda homemade one...but you could have a point. Its good to get a different point on the image. Thanks

I'd order that off a menu...


then again Id order any cake from a menu........ I love cake.....

*goes off to eat cake*

Lol...hope u enjoyed your cake...

If I can have mine without the blueberries ;)

Also note, I don't normally eat cake. I just don't like it. Yet that is a piece I definately want to try :)

For a menu, the pic will work well. After all, you just sold me, the non-cake-eater, a piece :lol:

Haha, im glad. Thanks


I really like it. Though I agree that a touch more depth of field, but I'd keep the fork. but put the handle towards the customer. :)

I wish the company I work for made cake instead of computers then I could spend all day taking pictures like that, what a job that would be :lol:.

Did you get to eat it afterwards?




Sure did. V. good cake it was. Wish i had more now...and thanks for the fork idea.


Thank you all for your suggestions...;)

[Stefan A]

From the standpoint of customer looking at a menu trying to decide what desert they want - personally, I don't think I would go for it. If you are selling the cake - leave out the fruit - or have much less of it. maybe replace the fruit with a drizzle of chocolate. I am a cake kind of guy way before a fruit kind of guy. So the fruit turns me off. Of course, if that's how the desert comes, then it's not your fault.

From a photographic standpoint, the fork doesn't bother me. But the OOF tip does. Other than that, great shot. But I guess since so many people don't like the fork, it's probably best to leave it out.

Stefan

[Dchemist]

Hi Leaveit. I like your photo and the fork. You might have moved the business part of the fork towards the food so that the eye is not drawn away from the food and you could have provided a bit more DOF or brought the focal point forward. The other thing you could consider is to crop tighter. An example is below. It is a fair question to ask how this might play on a menu. What do you think? Dennis

[sasa007]

What realy bothers me is the fact that Grapes or a Berries need some POLISHING before taking a photo.There is allways that murky surface but nothing that bit a kitchen detergent and some soft cleanex could not solve.
Also I thing you need a more light and 50W lamps do not cut it.
Reason saying this than you can get more sharp image all over the plate and cake, since F stop could be 11,16 or a 22 with a 100 Iso seting and realy fast exposure.

[dzstudios]

Hiya,

From a graphic designer whose done more my fair share of food lay-outs and menus the following:

The shot is PERFECT!

The DOF is PERFECT - food photography - just like fashion - is governed by 'trends' and have everything in focus is very YESTERDAY. (Although, i guess, just like in fashion, it may make a retro comeback).

YOu only need to leaf through the latest Vogue food mag, to see that a very, very short DOF is predominantly used. In fact - we often BLUR the shot even more and use a kind of 'spot' focus - just highlighting appropriate parts of the image with giving in the focus.

Technically 'flawless' photography is appropriate for product shots - but in food photography the MOOD rules - and blurry, soft images are just so much more dreamy and yummy...

:lol:

[leaveit]

From the standpoint of customer looking at a menu trying to decide what desert they want - personally, I don't think I would go for it. If you are selling the cake - leave out the fruit - or have much less of it. maybe replace the fruit with a drizzle of chocolate. I am a cake kind of guy way before a fruit kind of guy. So the fruit turns me off. Of course, if that's how the desert comes, then it's not your fault.

From a photographic standpoint, the fork doesn't bother me. But the OOF tip does. Other than that, great shot. But I guess since so many people don't like the fork, it's probably best to leave it out.

Stefan

Thanks for the input. The desert is suppose to come with fruit, otherwise the cake is quite bland in looks. The fruit spices it up a little. Yeah, the fork again...its a HEAVY issue!!

Hi Leaveit. I like your photo and the fork. You might have moved the business part of the fork towards the food so that the eye is not drawn away from the food and you could have provided a bit more DOF or brought the focal point forward. The other thing you could consider is to crop tighter. An example is below. It is a fair question to ask how this might play on a menu. What do you think? Dennis

Yeah its not bad mate, i dont mind it...but i was going for a wider shot to give the cake an air of breath (that kinda goes with its light/simple kinda taste it has). The tighter crop may work well with something such as pancakes or icecream alone or any other desert that is monotone in its presentation. But because the cake is coupled with the berries, i wanted to encompas the two (cake and berries) as a whole and place it in the center of the shot. The fork is cut off for that exact purpose...it doesnt form part of the subject matter...only added for warmth. Thanks for the suggestions tho.

What realy bothers me is the fact that Grapes or a Berries need some POLISHING before taking a photo.There is allways that murky surface but nothing that bit a kitchen detergent and some soft cleanex could not solve.
Also I thing you need a more light and 50W lamps do not cut it.
Reason saying this than you can get more sharp image all over the plate and cake, since F stop could be 11,16 or a 22 with a 100 Iso seting and realy fast exposure.

About the blueberries Sasa007, i feel the frost surface give off a natural kinda feel, and it is a country sorta cake, so i think it fits the profile. I could work tho...i havnt tried it with polished berries yet. Might give it a go. As for the lighting, its a little lacking i know (even though there were about 6-8 50w downlights in the room - they still give off a bit of a yellow tinge....which is quite annoying).

Hiya,

From a graphic designer whose done more my fair share of food lay-outs and menus the following:

The shot is PERFECT!

The DOF is PERFECT - food photography - just like fashion - is governed by 'trends' and have everything in focus is very YESTERDAY. (Although, i guess, just like in fashion, it may make a retro comeback).

YOu only need to leaf through the latest Vogue food mag, to see that a very, very short DOF is predominantly used. In fact - we often BLUR the shot even more and use a kind of 'spot' focus - just highlighting appropriate parts of the image with giving in the focus.

Technically 'flawless' photography is appropriate for product shots - but in food photography the MOOD rules - and blurry, soft images are just so much more dreamy and yummy...

:lol:

Wow...thats a lovely comment. I dont know about PERFECT, but i was hoping for GOOD. Thank you so much! Yeah i was going for a short DOF for that reason too. So many cookbooks and other media has short DOF food shots, i treid to follow the trend. I was going for a focal point at the tip closes to the viewer of the cream...i figured that this area of the cake was most important and gave the most visual information to the viewer.
You are the first to see the benefit of the DOF i used...gives me some confidence. THANK YOU :)