C&C Food Photography

Felt like playing chef today, and ended up with this! Not often do I get a chance to hear other people's opinions about my food presentation. I'd like some C&C on the presentation of the dish, picture, and lighting. Also pretty new to flash and lighting too. Just started reading about it and playing with it this week.

Rebel XS, Quantaray 18-200, on-camera SUNPAK auto 433AF flash
f/4.5, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, 28mm focal length, shot on manual, auto WB, and a bit of PP
focus on white blob on the front piece of salmon

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'text/xml'

I can't see your image. Maybe because its a https link?

Food links...

PhotosGuy wrote in post #11258611
I can't see your image. Maybe because its a https link?

Food links...

My bad!! Corrected!

Still can't see it.

dynamic03 wrote in post #11259412
Still can't see it.

Alright, I uploaded it on a different site. Should be able to see it now.

edmyloo wrote in post #11259527
Alright, I uploaded it on a different site. Should be able to see it now.

Worked this time. Not a bad capture, I would zoom in more on the salmon, the furniture in the frame takes it away from the main subject. Just my thoughts.

DOF / focus vs. composition is a bit off for me - the eye is drawn to the lemon but it isn't tac sharp

The image looks a little soft jpeg resizzing maybe but the fish looks burnt, the inclusion of the chair and table suggests pub grub as opposed to haute cuisine.

corkneyfonz wrote in post #11260002
The image looks a little soft jpeg resizzing maybe but the fish looks burnt, the inclusion of the chair and table suggests pub grub as opposed to haute cuisine.

Yeaa.. couldn't get all the fish in one pan flat, so heating was a bit uneven, slightly burning the thinner parts of the fish. I'm actually not sure why it's soft. It looked good when I first opened the RAW file. And.. It's my kitchen table.. So I kinda had to make with what I had. Next time, maybe I'll try a white tablecloth, with some silverware and maybe a wine glass. Get an actual little set-up going on.

I would go for a much tighter crop or a more interesting background - something that suggested a feast...

I can't see it because it's so far away

rioni wrote in post #11260389
I can't see it because it's so far away

So a tighter frame! I'm kinda having trouble seeing the food too honestly. LOL

Yes tighter shot would help. Is it a food shot or a dining table shot?

Yes, definitely a tighter crop. Add some other tableware like napkin, fork and knife. And try to keep the plate (and the food) as clean and tidy as possible.