LPTC member Teri Virbickis presents “Fun with Food – Introduction to Food Photography” on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 7pm, Lone Tree Civic Center.
Arrive 30 minutes early for social time, to visit with your fellow club members and meet some new folks. The program is 7pm – 9pm.
Food Photography is very similar to photographing people in a sense that each person has their best side. Considering the variety of food out there, diverse cooking and presentation styles, the final results are endless. This array of unique subjects creates an opportunity for infinite camera angle choices.
Good food photography induces a physical response. A really great food photo makes you hungry, makes you salivate, and makes you want some for yourself. Good food images don’t just happen by putting food on a table and snapping a picture. There are many things to consider. We will spend some time in a classroom style setting going over the information below and learning some basic of shooting food.
In this presentation your will learn about:
- Great Angles for Food Photography – Learn and experiment with angles to shoot food at to produce a pleasing and engaging image.
- Pick Physically Attractive “Stars” of Your Images – Sure, beauty comes from the inside, but until someone invents taste-o-vision, visual appearance will remain a critical part of food photography. And that means choosing fruit without bruises, lettuce without brown edges and meat that isn’t overcooked.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Enhance Your Assets – Food photography isn’t about dieting and small portions, it’s about generous, even lavish quantities, and creating an idea of abundance. Adding water drops and steam can help the “drool factor” of your images.
- Consider the Use of Multiples – Repetition of simple elements helps create the idea of abundance. One cookie on its own looks a little mean, a whole pile of cookies is much more enticing.
- Think About Your Garnish – Garnishes are the lacy lingerie of the food world. They may not be the main event but they add a little color and a hint of what’s to come. Consider a herb that is in the dish, a little chili, or even just a sprinkling of black pepper to make an everyday meal seem more alluring.
- Use Flattering Lighting – Poor lighting makes food look unappealing, especially the use of direct flash. But you don’t need fancy camera equipment, daylight is perfect for food photography. Don’t be shy to take the action outside.
- Focus on the Main Event – Good food Photography tends to favor a shallow depth of field, really focusing on the action in the foreground. Keep the background uncluttered, again, so that the focus is brought onto the food.
- Your Supporting Cast – The color of your plates, the type of surface you photograph on, glasses, napkins and other items you add to your setup, help invoke a mood or a feeling about your food. Learning how to add supporting items, without adding too much clutter, can make for a “hero” or “zero” shot.
- Find the “Money” Shot – Try both portrait and landscape mode when shooting. It can create a different feel to the finished photo. Also trying different angles and DOF, can create quite the difference in impact of your image.
About Teri Virbickis:
I am a stock photographer, and many of you have attended my classes to help assist you in getting started in the business of stock photography. Taking Stock Images Photography was created, to assist photographers in learning about the ins and outs of the business of selling your work.
Over 75% of my stock photography portfolio are food-related images. I sell a lot of images related to food. When it comes to food, I am natural light girl all the way, and my setups are simple, based around the use of available natural light. I also have several restaurant clients that I shoot their images for social media, menus, magazines, etc. Most are farm-to-table format restaurants, so their menus change all the time, so pictures change all the time.
As of May 2023, I have 173,000+ images online, across 7 different stock agencies and Fine Art America. I continue to learn more and more about the world of photography, and my stock photography portfolio continues to grow in size and income! I continue to make Taking Stock Images Photography a community of photographers who are not only passionate about their work but assist them in learning about how to create a home-based business, that will serve them now and down the road when their full-time employment ceases. It seems these days, our world is in a constant state of change, and creating your very own home-based business can become the one thing you control and create into your very own empire. This business is not an easy one, and it will require time, effort, and “sweat equity” on your part. But the sky’s the limit, you CAN create a business with something you love and are very passionate about.
I am a Member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and the Professional Photographers of Colorado (PPC). I am currently working towards my Master’s of Photography Degree from PPA.
