Scalloped Potatoes au gratin

A shot of some scalloped potatoes au gratin - used my 28-105 lens and on board flash. Thoughts and recommendations for future food shots welcome.

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More Light = Better Exposure = Deeper DOF

I agree with the previous poster. Underexposed by at least one stop. From the EXIF I see that you had very little light and used a shutter speed of 1/8 sec. That may have introduced some camera shake blur as well. DOF is too shallow - not surprisingly with the close up and 95mm focal length and F/4.5 aperture.......that gives tou just about 10 mm (1/16") You need to get further away and a smaller aperture. Then up the ISO if you cannot change the amount of light.

I do a fair bit of food photography .... you need all the light you can get. DOF does not need to cover the whole dish or plate but should be sharp on the essential part of the food item to give the viewer an idea of what he/she is missing...

Thanks guys, will check out vk2gwk's food photography

Thought I had turned on the on camera flash. - yes my kitchen/dining room is not as well lit as I would like and I won't be able to afford an extra flash for the foreseeable future - will see what I can do to improve lighting.

Put it near a window and use a piece of white foamcore to bounce some light back into the scene...

One thing you'll notice about most food photography where the food is shown as "moist" .. It's usually done with more light from behind than in front so you get a good sheen!

flyingPhotog - will head to the store for some foamcore tomorrow - thanks for explaining everything as well.

Just a heads up so you won't be disappointed if your food shots don't match the magazines.

I read that the typical food shoot involves cooks who are continually creating the meal being shot as under the lights most food is not fresh after 10 minutes of shooting. Heavy duty lighting and set design and PP work to get the color and look that sells what they most often can't deliver (when did the last burger you eat look like the photo?).

Keep up the good work and you will get there ...

Jetcode,

thanks for the tips, most food porn that I shoot is stuff I, or my wife, cooks as well as any restaurants that we go to.

Food links...

In addition to the exposure problems, you need to be thinking about composition. Also, the food has to look appealing before you photograph it before it will look good in a photo. That looks like it was instant potatoes still in the black microwaveable bowl that it came in.

drumnut01 wrote in post #11052268
In addition to the exposure problems, you need to be thinking about composition. Also, the food has to look appealing before you photograph it before it will look good in a photo. That looks like it was instant potatoes still in the black microwaveable bowl that it came in.

Ouch - never cooked instant food in my life.

remember food photography is all about the food, looking good to eat, and the presentation of the food on the plate and or table. the above comment about using natural light and reflectors is a great idea. check out some of the food channel pictures and pictures with recipes.

Too close, poor lighting and does not look appetizing.

Plate the food on a nice plate and use a nice setting...as stated you were too tight on just the food. Another tip that will help it look fresh is to brush the food with olive oil just before taking the shot.