Task 1a: Historical and Contemporary Food Photographers

Historical and Contemporary Food Photographers

Beth Galton is the perfect example of a contemporary photographer; she takes food photography to an unusual level that is inspiring and eye-catching to the viewer and/or photographer. I think her project “cut-food” is what intrigued me to look further into her work in food photography as a whole, taking in more projects and experiments she has worked with, although my mind always went back to the cut-food series. I have decided to try using this style of photography as an experiment in the future. Galtons photographs from this project have all been taken a studio to allow complete focus on the subjects.

http://bethgalton.com/

Melissa Skorpil is a commercial food photographer based in Austin, Texas. She photographs food imagery for restaurants, catering companies, and ad agencies.  Something I’ve noticed whilst looking at Skorpil’s work is that every one of her shoots is completely different with the idea of; composition, locations, colour or food genre. I find her work to be quite interesting as she takes everyday foods and gives them depth using shadows and props, although I have noticed that her background are always minimalistic I think that this is to ensure the viewer’s focus stays on the subject. Skorpil's photographs vary between studio and location food photography, although I find both successful. In location photographs what ever scene or props that are used have some connection with the main subject, making the overall image compliment itself. 

www.skorpilphotography.com

Gareth Morgans is a highly experienced food photographer. His work is mostly used commercially through promotional posters (Costa), in food magazines or catalogues. I think that Morgans can definitely be described as a diverse food photographer who has many styles of work, using many different techniques, most in which I find successful. I find his work quite inspiring as being new to food photography I found his work very relatable, and would love to use some of the techniques I have seen in future projects. The types of photography based on location change vastly with Morgans images. For the commercial images the subject is often taken in a studio. Although in many of his magazine shoots they are based on location, which I think is successful for the message and techniques he is trying to put across. 

http://www.garethmorgans.com/

David Daniels is a portrait photographer, although over the last few years has started to branch out into landscape and food photography. I find Daniels photographs 

www.daviddanielsphotography.com

William Henry Fox Talbot is a historical photographer and one of the first to actually photograph food without knowing in the future it would become how we know it today. Talbot created imagery through exposing photographic paper through baths like we have in a darkroom. Talbot often used photograms with his photography. I would love to use darkroom methods to experiment with foods.

Irving Penn is a well-known fashion and portraiture photographer although along with these genres of photography he also worked with food photography, in the same unconventional way he does in his other images. The composition of Penn’s food photography is extremely inspirational due to its unusual nature, especially for its time. I’m sure that Penn has influenced many contemporary photographers today.

Edward Weston was a well-known landscape photographer that has also worked briefly with food photography. Weston’s photographs, being black and white, are very dramatic. His images are often in the centre of his frame I think this is to add intensity and depth to a simple subject.

With food photographers I find contemporary photographers to be more inspirational as to compete in food photography today you must create something unconventional and interesting; with new techniques, environments and audiences. Although I find historical photographers had little to use yet still produced a dramatic image using shadows and compositions and most of all darkroom methods, in which I would like to experiment with using food in the future.

1b: Food photography shoots

Lunch Shoot:

This was my first shoot I was told to complete a series of five images that I ate for lunch each day. To do this I felt thinking of composition and creativity is very important, as I was only trying to get five images out of it. I think this was a good experimental shoot for me to learn the different techniques to use in this food photography project. I think with these images I should have thought more about composition as in many of the photo's I have unwanted things in the background. 

Metering mode shoot:  

The next shoot that I completed was based on using a light box, natural light and photographing at night. I completing these shoots using different metering modes for each composition; spot metering, partial metering, centre metering and evaluative metering.

Spot metering only measures the intensity of light over a small circled area in the centre of the view finder.

Partial metering measures the intensity of light over an increased circled area as opposed to spot metering

Centre-weighted average metering measures light across the whole image area usually focused in the centre of the veiwfinder.

Evaluative metering is the default metering mode on many cameras, it measures light across the whole frame.

Through completing these shoots I have found them extremely useful as I am now experimenting with using different metering modes, and have become comfortable using a light box to create an interesting image. 

Contact Sheets

Lightbox:

 I found my light box shoot to be the one with the most interesting results and outcomes, before this shoot I had never used a light box in any of my photographic work other than to view negatives. I think because this was a new method of photography I was just learning the different techniques I could use with it. I have learnt that the light box is great with creating dramatic shadows and silhouettes. I will definitely use the lightbox in future projects. 

Natural Lighting:

Using natural lighting with food photography I have decided to work with different apertures purely focusing of the subject as opposed to the image as a whole. I found this technique successful, although I think if I were to complete this shoot again I would branch out to different naturally lit locations. 

Food Posters

Food posters:

I have realised when researching food posters, I prefer simpler less cluttered posters. I favour a food poster to have the subject  taken in a studio as opposed to on location, although if I were to take the photograph on location I would ensure only the subject to be in focus, as I think it should have the  full attention of the viewer, due to it being a commercial poster. I think text of a food poster should be minimal and straight to the point. Perhaps using only a phrase or the name the subject or brand. 

Different posters are created for different purposes depending on things like audience or culture. If you were to take a photograph of food based around for example, someone's religious preferences to food you would be creating a cultural link between the poster and audience to whom it concerns. 

To entice someone in to your poster you must consider who your target audience is and how it is going to affect them on a personal level. For example you wouldn't sell coffee to entice a child. Sometimes when you see examples of things being put into practice, it’s easier to visualize what you have to do yourself. The image/subject must be appealing to an audience. Different audiences consist of different ages, sexes, religions etc. 

Most of the food posters I have looked at have been contemporary, although I have done further research into historical food posters to see if posters today have any links to how they were in the past. After looking at historical food based posters I realised the majority of them were drawn or painted I believe this was because not many people at the time using photographic techniques that we use today. Either way they were well received by they're audiences. I think something that contemporary food photographers creating posters have taken on board is the simplicity and minimal text that is used frequently today.

Poster 1:

With this poster the subject, the Heines ketchup bottle, is placed in the centre of the frame instantly showing dominance over the poster. This whole image minus the text was taken in a studio with a red background to compliment the bottle, i think . Although you can't see the bottle as a whole you know what it is immediately due to the well known logo. This poster is trying to tell us that Heines ketchup is made with real tomatoes, they help portray this through using the stalk of the tomato. This poster has been extremely well received. 

Poster 2: 

With this poster the subject (the cookies) fills the whole frame; I believe that this image is shot in a studio. I think that the wooden surface that the subject is on compliments the image perfectly, I think it gives the image a rustic, homely feeling. I think that this poster is set for an adult audience as opposed to anything else a the image is quite serious and to the point. As the image is so dark I think the white text works extremely well creating great contrast on the poster.





Poster 3:

This is a food poster for Tefal's juicer. In this particular image it is showing how a fruit or vegetables can be turned into a juice using kitchen equipment, therefore it isn't exactly a poster for food alone but a different way in which to use it. This photograph has been taken extremely creatively and should be inspiring to many of its viewers. This photograph is aimed to connect with an audience of adults, as it is for kitchen equipment. 

Poster Typography

In regards to poster designs the text is just as much part of the end result as the image overall. I think you can use just text to make an appealing poster, although when using imagery I think a link between the text and image is necessary.

Different texts can gives off different vibes, that can give the poster a completely different feeling or reaction from the viewer.

 Through researching food posters I have gained the understanding of what it takes to create an overall successful poster, I will take this information and use it in my final piece of work, to create an eye-catching, powerful poster.

Food Photography First Shoot Plan

Food Photography First Shoot Plan

My shoot could be taken at any point during the day as my location (coffee shop) will always have artificial light therefore my time frame is extremely flexible. I have decided to complete this shoot as early as possible so in the case that something does go wrong or I want to redo some shots it will be possible to get them shot in time for my 
deadline.  

For my first shoot I have decided to take photographs in a coffee shop location (in which I have received permission) This shoot will take place during the day although I may complete another shoot when it is dark to see what kind of effect I can get. In this shoot I will be focusing on the subject (the coffee) blurring out the background. As this shoot will be taken in a public setting I think that blurring out everything but the subject will help with the atmosphere that I think will help in creating a commercial poster/image. 

As I am taking these photographs in a copyrighted business I will ensure to keep all logos or names of the company out of my images.  

This shoot will be taken based on location, the location being a coffee shop. As my subject is coffee I think that it would make a more natural image being in its natural setting. 

The lighting in my images will be from artificial lighting already available to me. Although the light in a coffee shop is homely and almost dim, to help create an inviting atmosphere I think will work well on a commercial poster. 

Regarding props I will have only my subject the coffee other than my camera, spare batteries and memory card.

Style

Style of my poster:

The style of food photography I want to take for my poster would to look into coffee's and desserts, so a cafe theme overall. I am contemplating whether to photograph on location or studio based. I think I will have to complete multiple shoots to get the effect I am looking for. In my images I want to make my images complement its background using colour; I think to do this I would stick to blacks, greys, browns and whites. 

I think through research that images taken on a black background make very dramatic and powerful posters. This is an effect I would like to experiment with in my upcoming shoots. 

The target audience my food poster will be for ages 16+, as I am wanting 

I am hoping to make my poster quite commercial with bold text advertising the brand and/or subject. I think all of the food photography images I have looked at have been based on commercial photography; used for magazines, books, advertisements and posters. Therefore I think I have a clear idea on what I am looking to do.

I have decided to complete two shoots. One on location, in an actual coffee shop, and the other studio based. 

First Shoot Contact Sheets

Contact Sheet/ Final Shoot

I took these photographs with the idea in mind that they would form a poster as the end result. I found this shoot extremely successful and found multiple shots that I am happy with. All of my images have been taken portrait as I knew during researching posters that, that is the format I was trying to achieve. The images I found most succfesful were: 0452,0457, 0459, 0460, 0467, 0468, and 0471.

Poster Mock-ups

Poster 1:

Poster 2:

Poster 3:



Poster 4:



I have created these posters with the idea in mind that there would be a link between them. I have used images from the same shoot, used fonts that are similar to each other and added my own logo into two of the posters.



Final posters

Evaluation

Evaluation:

For this project the theme was food photography; which is an extremely flexible subject that could consist of any food, any drink, even kitchen utensils. I chose to use "coffee" as my main subject for my final poster/s. I theme was originally café orientated, although I thought that it was too wide a theme to create images that flow well together.

When I was given the brief to create a food poster I found it beneficial to complete enough research to grasp this concept. I have researched simply food photography as a whole which led me to find and further research photographers specialising in food photography that I found inspiring. Through researching historical and contemporary, I looked at how food photography has adapted throughout time; from simple images of fruit to modern works of art we see today.

After researching photographers I brought myself back to the brief and then decided in order to make my own poster I would have to research posters as a whole. Through exploring other posters I have gained an understanding of what it takes to create a successful poster. I decided after this I would like to make a commercialised poster, focusing on selling my subject making it appealing and appetizing.  

During this project I have completed multiple shoots three being focused on natural lighting, night lighting and using a lightbox. Out of these shoots I found lightbox to be the most interesting as I had never used it before in photography and found that it works extremely well when taking photographs for commercial purposes. I would enjoy using this technique in future.

My shoot for my final images was taken in a coffee shop as I wanted the subject (coffee) to be in its natural environment. For these images I experimented with aperture as I only wanted my subject in focus. I also interpreted bokeh into some of my images.

Overall I am happy with my final posters and how my images looked and found the shoots completed this project to be very successful. I think next time I will complete shoots in multiple location to ensure I have a wide option of photographs to choose from when creating my final posters.