Any Progress? Food Photography

Here is my first attempt at food photography, about a month ago. Since then I have been reading a lot, and looking at a lot of photos, at POTN elsewhere trying to learn. What do you think? Any comment and critique is greatly appreciated. I have a huge passion for food and I think I could become good at food photography with practice and advice from you guys. Thanks in advance.

Tonight's dinner, roast beef, potatoes, and carrots with buttered toast and chocolate milk.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/bmax-photo/8508422975/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/bmax-photo/8509532006/

Critique: roast beef with chocolate milk??!?! What a pairing....

Imho, your crop on #2 is a little tight. I think a little more room for the photo to breathe would have been nice.

yes too tight if you wanted the bread in the shot then get it in focus same goes for the milk

#1 is nice.

The butter on the bread is distracting and looks carelessly placed. The reflection/glare in the most proximate part of the potato is rather unpleasant and distracting too.

In #1 I'd get rid of the butter on the background. You're trying to include way too many elements in a single frame and it looks busy. Likewise for the fork to the right of the plate. If you use only the main dish, the bread, and the milk, you have a triad that you can better arrange for a more pleasant composition.

Found your specialist area in photography? Wonderful news. Good job.
Like the first. Agree butter melted more. Also perhaps a touch too much DOF for me on the bread. But I am really being picky.

Thanks everyone. You guys nailed every critique I gave myself. I need to buy a tablecloth. All I had was a white pillow case. I was trying to keep everything in frame and everything on white. Hard to do and make it look good. I think If I had recomposed with having a few less items, or more space with wider angle, it would be stronger. But I am happy with the lighting and food prep. The glistening could be more consistent, I need a spray bottle or brush (for oil). That would fix the weird highlights/glare.

Thanks to you all for taking the time to comment. Back to the kitchen soon I hope.

The crop PhotosGuy did is much better. But - the angle you shot at isn't working. The dish you have it in is wrong for that sort of food and the potato looks too large for the rest of the dish (cut the potato into chunks to get your proportions better).

Don't be afraid to push the exposure a little on food shots and, as mentioned, don't overcook your food.

Typically, with a dish like this, the meat is the centre piece but here it looks hidden behind that massive potato.

Try serving much less on a plate giving it plenty of space. Add the components of the dish seperately and think about where you place them on a plate.

And - don't always think you need to shoot your food from where you're sat.. Try from above or from the side and make use of window light to really craft your shot.