Newbie learning to take food photos

[ntheni]

Fish & Chips
Swensen (Plaza Singapura)

3 Stars Out of 5
***

 

[erinnish]

Squid Ink Pizza
Skinny Pizza (Great World City)

Hi ntheni,

I love skinny pizza!

Apart from doing close-ups, maybe you can try photographing from a higher angle too so that we can see a larger section of the pizza.. In that way, it's easier for people to tell what it is just at a glance
If you are hampered by the lens, the other way is to cut a slice of the pizza and photograph that slice.

I know it's tough photographing food in public! Everytime I take my dslr out in a restaurant, I feel like everyone in the restaurant is looking (even though I'm sure no one is!) and all I want is to quickly take the photos and keep the cam!

 

[ntheni]

Hi ntheni,

I love skinny pizza!

Apart from doing close-ups, maybe you can try photographing from a higher angle too so that we can see a larger section of the pizza.. In that way, it's easier for people to tell what it is just at a glance
If you are hampered by the lens, the other way is to cut a slice of the pizza and photograph that slice.

I know it's tough photographing food in public! Everytime I take my dslr out in a restaurant, I feel like everyone in the restaurant is looking (even though I'm sure no one is!) and all I want is to quickly take the photos and keep the cam!

Hi erinnish,

I love the generous amount of wild rocket they put on top of the pizza haha

Actually I did took some photo showing the whole pizza from 45 deg, but the result was not that great...too messy I guess :sweat: think a 90 deg will show a better result. But the place was too crowed :sweat:
I did thought of placing it on the place, but I can't get a good slice out...too crunchy I guess :bsmilie:

Yes!!! There will be people looking at you whenever you took out a DSLR hahaha but I slowly getting used of the public eyes just that still can't go to the point of standing up from my chair to take photos hahaha

Merry Christmas to you erinnish

 

[asthio88]

100 pcs!!! How to finish?? So where is this place that you newly crowned no.1 for custard bun? So far I still like the custard bun from Imperial Treasure at Paragon

I also find my Fried Squid green too dark but when I set brighter my whole photo become over-exposed :sweat:
Still haven't learn how to set partially bright

Sorry bro for the late response, kinda busy of late..

You will be surprised how fast the 100 pcs wr gone; 10 here, 10 there and thts it. hehehe... We also brought back 50 pcs of char siu bao & a roasted goose! The restaurant is called Mu Dan Ting located along Hankow Road, TST. Will post the photos soon...

On bringing out the shadow and as pointed by bro Eric, you have to use the selective adjustment and there are many ways to do it. If the affected area is isolated or of a uniform color (like this pic), what I usually do is using the Shadow/Highlight tool or do adjustment thn masking it using color range, more info pls check the followings:

Color range masking tutorial
Selective adjustments
Shadow/Highlight tool


What I have done to this image:


1. Using the Shadow/Highlight tool

Play with all the 3 sliders under Shadow but do bear in mind the radius should not be set too low for a smoother transition. More info here. The color might have been lost if the affected area is too dark, you will probably need to bring it back (by adding vibrancy/saturation if possible, else you will need to colorize it using the hue/saturation or by painting).


2. Using color range masking:

I increase the midtone in curves and thn masked with color range by selecting the green, do feather it for smoother transition.


Final image (may not look good, it's done on my office monitor):

Hope this help



Edit note: Oh dear, viewing on my home monitor, seems a lil overdone liao. Paiseh...

 

[ntheni]

Bro thanks for the link!!! Will check it out and improve. Thanks!!

ehhh...Mu Dan Ting is at HK?? :sweat:

 

[ntheni]

Cooked up some food for my Christmas Potluck Dinner. Enjoy

Meatball
Home Cooked

 

[ntheni]

Mixed Salad w Olive Oil

 

[ntheni]

Home Cooked

 

[ntheni]

Sorry for the noisy photo... really low light in the restaurant :sweat:

Yellow Tail Sashimi
Shin Kushiya (Vivocity)

3 Stars Out of 5
***

 

[ntheni]

Gyu Enoki Maki
Shin Kushiya (Vivocity)

4 Stars Out of 5
****

 

[ntheni]

Shin Yaki Onigiri
Shin Kushiya (Vivocity)

3 Stars Out of 5
***

 

[ntheni]

Lamb Chop
Shin Kushiya (Vivocity)

4 Stars Out of 5
****

 

[blueskye168]

Cooked up some food for my Christmas Potluck Dinner. Enjoy

Meatball Home Cooked

Yes, not too bad...except the 2nd-shot which was "Flash-over-powered", but luckily you didn't create any unsightly "Highlight/Hotspot" on the important part of your food and cutlery as well, cos this seemed to be shot in/under a 'controlled-scenario' right, bro?? Hence, I'd and have to expect you to have acquired some simple knowledge by now ok...!! :thumbsup:lah...and the rest...some other 'tips and tweaks' we'll discuss 'behind-the-scene/backstage=PM'...Pls remember our agreement and always...yah...bro!!!!!:cheers:

 

[blueskye168]

Home Cooked

You'd have scored a 'Well Done' but now is rather :thumbsup: and yes good lighting for this case cos of this top-down soup..., as this is a 'top-down' was shot at your time so should've put in a little more effort then...?!?! eg. that piece of "back-drop" beneath the delicious fishball noodle and I don't see why you wanna omit the cutlery...why?? Ok, the rest we'll go behind the scene ok!!

 

[asthio88]

Bro thanks for the link!!! Will check it out and improve. Thanks!!

ehhh...Mu Dan Ting is at HK??

paiseh didn't make it clear, yeah the mentioned food was taken in HK

Home Cooked

I like this one but the pic looks empty both left & right. What I would have done is probably placing the mat diagonally (a tad) or crop it or add sm cutlery. You can also bring back sm detail on the fish balls/cakes.

Yes, not too bad...except the 2nd-shot which was "Flash-over-powered", but luckily you didn't create any unsightly "Highlight/Hotspot" on the important part of your food and cutlery as well, cos this seemed to be shot in/under a 'controlled-scenario' right, bro?? Hence, I'd and have to expect you to have acquired some simple knowledge by now ok...!! :thumbsup:lah...and the rest...some other 'tips and tweaks' we'll discuss 'behind-the-scene/backstage=PM'...Pls remember our agreement and always...yah...bro!!!!!

I don't know, I just wd love to sink my teeth in whatever balls those are.. Hehehe.... Look yummy!!
Joke a side, I agree with bro Eric. You have to take note of the consistency (not only the WB bt also the exposure) espec on shots of the same item/s.
Oh dear, sound like sm secret society kinda stuff, can I join tht 'behind-the-scene' pact?? :bsmilie:

 

[blueskye168]

Shin Yaki Onigiri
Shin Kushiya (Vivocity)

Well, for these two-shots I can understand as mine was almost all shot under such circumstances whereby I/we have to just shoot asap before being discovered, plus those Yellow/orange-colored lights from dim and afar till near but fall/shone on the not so favourable angle/sides of where we were seated and NO-flash allowed so as not to further "Alert" the aiya...you all know who those ppl are lah...hehee...!!!

Compo-wise it's alright as in 'acceptable':thumbsup: for the above 2-shots.....:cheers:leh, Anthony

 

[blueskye168]

paiseh didn't make it clear, yeah the mentioned food was taken in HK





I like this one but the pic looks empty both left & right. What I would have done is probably placing the mat diagonally (a tad) or crop it or add sm cutlery. You can also bring back sm detail on the fish balls/cakes.





I don't know, I just wd love to sink my teeth in whatever balls those are.. Hehehe.... Look yummy!!
Joke a side, I agree with bro Eric. You have to take note of the consistency (not only the WB bt also the exposure) espec on shots of the same item/s.
Oh dear, sound like sm secret society kinda stuff, can I join tht 'behind-the-scene' pact?? :bsmilie:

Well, just sincerely hope that you can understand ( due to me and Antony's agreement...and do give me some bit more of time for some thoughts can bro asthio88, don't be disappointed at this very moment as I can assured you that your 'Chances' are 'High' ok, bro...c'mon...smile lehhh...hahaha...!!!!!:bsmilie::sweatsm::bsmilie:

 

[blueskye168]

Gyu Enoki Maki
Shin Kushiya (Vivocity)

Woah...I'm sooo:vhappy:to see that your shot/s is/are becoming better and better (...not bcos of there's bokeh in this shot hor...do note on this yah...!!) and getting the hand-of-it liao:thumbsup: more-or-less huh...don't paiseh leh bro...heeheehee...!!!:bsmilie:

Well, for the above shot, you'll really need to know what you want and are going to shoot = is it for your client/or as-requested or just a casual-fun-shot with playing of 'Bokeh'...??which?? is critical ok...so don't play play hehe:bsmilie:

 

[blueskye168]

Sorry for the noisy photo... really low light in the restaurant :sweat:

Yellow Tail Sashimi
Shin Kushiya (Vivocity)

Well bro, is not easy to get my 'Thumb-Up' hor as you know huh, as 'it represents quite a lot of criteria' in order to attained it hor...!!!

Happy...really, that you've got it :thumbsup: for this, make sure you keep it up hor:vhappy:...:cheers:then!!!

 

[blueskye168]

Lamb Chop
Shin Kushiya (Vivocity)

As for this above shot...hmm...can considered as :thumbsup: as il'll certainly appeared 'Better/Best' if shot is executed in a similar crop but in another 'Orientation' so that the small triangular piece will fall a third at bottom-left-hand region and lemon somewhere around the region at a third on the top-right-hand, then, control the DOF to have the small cute little piece sharp untill towards the end of the Lamb chop...will certainly give a even better 'feel' when first look at it = Good-first-Impression man, bro remember hor!!!!!