Workshop: Marden Senior College

I had so much fun showing the students at Marden how I photograph in a workshop I run. I did studio shots - my way of course. This scared me; I don't like the studio. Then we headed to where I feel comfortable. The kitchen, a makeshift outdoor studio and then locations around the college for portraits. 

I also showed how I photograph in a kitchen, with working chefs and kitchen staff. How I photograph and style food on location without a stylist. How I photograph people on location with minimum equipment. 

I wanted to inspire the students that it's not about the equipment you use, it's about your thought and vision. Think about what you want out of the photo. 

What is the story? What emotions? What feel? 

And then, what do you need to tell that story? Props or food alone? Perfectly presented food or half-eaten lifestyle look? 

What about the background? Does it lend itself to clean and minimalist or textured and homely? 

And look at the light. Where is it coming from, do you need to add more or reflect some back into the shadows? 

This is what I focus on in Better Pics for Business and my workshops. How to get better photos with minimum equipment. The thought process and working natural light rather than styling a set. 

Check out Better Pics for Business to see how you can get better pics with your camera or smartphone!

Workshop: Marden Senior College

Last week I gave a workshop to the students of Marden Senior College. Focusing on how I photograph food, but we also touched on location portraits. 

The day was split into a studio food shoot, shoot in a kitchen, on location food shoot and portrait shoot. 

I started off my intro by saying 'I am not a technical photographer, I go with a feeling. I care more about the story than the camera model or tech specs (although I am fully aware of how I'm shooting and why). Not everything I do is correct, but it's the way I do it.' I don't know if there is a dead set right or wrong way to do things in photography? Or life really.

We also spoke about Contra work, charity jobs, social media and how to get clients. There can be confusion and misunderstanding that there is a prescribed way of how you have to do things.

There isn't. 

I accept or decline things on a case by case basis. Some things I do for love, practice, exposure or desire to help. Other things are purely business decisions. 

But something I did want to 'bang on' about is the relationship building. It's so important. I have been in business since 2004 and put emphasis on networking, being friendly, doing a good job... people will talk. You know the old saying... 'It's not what you know, it's who you know.' 

Studio - playing with angles, light, reflections in glass, working without a lightmeter and reading the histogram.

Kitchen - telling a story. Detail, medium and wide shots. Looking for interest. Keeping out of the way.

Food on location - light, direction, props, backgrounds, creating stories (including one here done by a student on healthy/indulgent), playing around.

People - Looking at interesting backgrounds, graphic, space, reflector or speedlight, working with your subject to make them comfortable. 

I put a call out on Facebook for anyone willing to lend us some food...  Kayla from Natural Naughties came to our party with some delicious, healthy food. Check out her food, recipes books and more here. http://www.naturalnaughties.com/

Food photography tips

So here are the snaps I took over the course of the Fleurieu Food and Shimmer Festival workshops to demonstrate light, storytelling and composition.

Take a look through them and see if you can 'see' what I am banging on about. :)

If you want to learn more, check out my Better Pics for Business eCourse - group intake starting soon!

Movement

In this series of apple slicing you can see the importance of taking lots of shots. A second or two can make or break an interesting photo.

Composition

The plate of food doesn't always have to be 'all alone'. Frame the plate with ingredients, drinks, other plates, cutlery...

Action

Don't be afraid to ask Chef to 'go slow' or 'do it again' if you can. Obviously you don't have this luxury during a busy service.

Move around - get the action from different angles. 

Careful of hands. If they are in front of the food they will block the view and appear very large.

Giving a sense of speed

Lower your shutter speed (use Manual on iPhone) to 1/30 and ask someone to move fast across the frame. 

Brace yourself (to minimise camera shake), or better yet, put the camera on a tripod, and focus on something that isn't moving. 

Take lots of photos to get a natural look with the person movement.

Reflector usage

Using a reflector opens up the shadows. Check out the front of the cake and see the difference (lightness) that it makes in this series.

Wine bottles

Photograph wine bottles straight on or from a distinct angle. Slightly off doesn't make the bottle look great - more like, weird.

Blur

Adding depth of field by making things out of focus in the background (and foreground) brings out where you want the viewers attention to land.

You can... 

use f2.8 or f4, perhaps even f5.6

get the lens in close to the subject

use a long lens ie. 70-200mm

zoom in on your iPhone

Shimmer Festival photo fun

Check out the fun we are getting up to for Shimmer Festival! Head on over to have a look at everything. You can book workshops through the link also.

There is so much cool stuff to see and do - but don't forget to check mine out... here is some more info. :)