Terrible Experience! (Page 8): You Go Girl!

Jim Peters Loc: Pittsburgh

Tracy B. wrote:

Funny you mentioned this. My Husband is in a band with one of the owners of the Bar/Restaurant. I took some photos of them playing out, just for my Husband, and they liked them so much that is how I got this job. They like my photos better than the person they hired for the gig.

You Go Girl!

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

Jim Peters wrote:

You Go Girl!

:-D

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Tracy B. wrote:

My first paid photography job. I was told I would be taking some interior pictures of a bar/restaurant. Well, I walk in and am told I will be doing pictures of their menu items. The Chef will be prepairing each dish and I'm to take pictures of each item. Let me set the sceen. DARK bar! Food Photography, I've read is the hardest to photograph. I have no practice at food photography. I haven't even tried. I'm not interested it that at all. OMG! I will never do anything like that again.

It's tricky work, and there are specific lighting setups that work best. Flash on camera or ambient light often does not work well.

I can do a good job with food, but then I've taken seminars and had some practice. And I'm not in the same league as the specialists who do food and other tabletop work day in and day out.

How did the shots turn out?

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

Well, I gave her the CD yesterday. I don't know if she even looked at them yet.

Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:

It's tricky work, and there are specific lighting setups that work best. Flash on camera or ambient light often does not work well.

I can do a good job with food, but then I've taken seminars and had some practice. And I'm not in the same league as the specialists who do food and other tabletop work day in and day out.

How did the shots turn out?

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

I once saved a fellow student in a photographer class who took on a similar job and didn't realize she was biting off more than she could chew. We worked like dogs, more or less nailed the shots, but still needed retouching. It was tougher back then, too; we were using slide film.

Shooting food is a wonderful learning experience and a way to improve your lighting. But like a lot of photography, there are specialized skills and it might not be smart to take on more than you can reliably accomplish.

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

So true.

Los-Angeles-Shooter wrote:

I once saved a fellow student in a photographer cl... (show quote)

AP Loc: Massachusetts

Tracy B. wrote:

My first paid photography job. I was told I would be taking some interior pictures of a bar/restaurant. Well, I walk in and am told I will be doing pictures of their menu items. The Chef will be prepairing each dish and I'm to take pictures of each item. Let me set the sceen. DARK bar! Food Photography, I've read is the hardest to photograph. I have no practice at food photography. I haven't even tried. I'm not interested it that at all. OMG! I will never do anything like that again.

Tracey B, your assignment was not difficult as you are making it. You are in a restrauant that a cook is preparing the food for you. You do not have to cook the food. I'm sure you had many places in the restaurant to place the dish of food. All you had to do is place the dish of food on a table that had window light coming in to aluminate the table. Your tripod and camera set up with lens used is your choice. This will tell and show others of your aesthetic ability in the photo that others will see. Don't forget to crop tight. This is food we're talking about, not a wine bottle or fancy water glasses or a coffee cup, "FOOD Photos".

Enclosed are some samples of my food photos. They are dinners of my past. I cooked the dinners and made photos because they looked good. Hope this helps! AP

Pasta Carbonara - easy to make.

(Download)

At my sister's in McKinney , TX. Breakfast outside. Flies have to eat too . . .

(Download)

This photo is the only food photo made inside a restaurant. I just turned the dish for my composition. NO FLASH USED !

(Download)

(Download)

We all eat everyday so lets photograph the food we eat. It will show all of us how difficult photography can really be!

(Download)

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

Those are nice. However, in my earlier posts I state that my photo shoot was in a Dark bar. I had "0" natural light, and it was difficult. Also, they cooked the food and set it in the same spot every time, because that is the only place we had. I wish I had windows and natural light and more time. But, like I said it was hard.

Anthony P wrote:

Tracey B, your assignment was not difficult as you... (show quote)

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Tracy B. wrote:

Funny you mentioned this. My Husband is in a band with one of the owners of the Bar/Restaurant. I took some photos of them playing out, just for my Husband, and they liked them so much that is how I got this job. They like my photos better than the person they hired for the gig.

That's super news, Tracy. Keep up the good work.
--Bob

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

Thanks.

rmalarz wrote:

That's super news, Tracy. Keep up the good work.
--Bob

:-D

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

If the OP or anyone else is planning a food shoot or other specialized shoot, there are plenty of free instructional videos and printed materials on the web.

AP Loc: Massachusetts

Tracy B. wrote:

Those are nice. However, in my earlier posts I state that my photo shoot was in a Dark bar. I had "0" natural light, and it was difficult. Also, they cooked the food and set it in the same spot every time, because that is the only place we had. I wish I had windows and natural light and more time. But, like I said it was hard.

Tracy, thanks for getting back to me. To help in your food photo shoot. If you are stuck because of lighting. All you have to do is use one umbrella on a light stand, 24 or 36" diameter set it to the right or left side at little back, no where the camera is set.

Try to use any light source into the umbrella. You have to use soft lighting for this type of photography. Do not shoot beyond f5.6 it's not needed. All my food photos that you see are made at f2.8 and no light added. AP

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

Tracy B. wrote:

My first paid photography job. I was told I would be taking some interior pictures of a bar/restaurant. Well, I walk in and am told I will be doing pictures of their menu items. The Chef will be prepairing each dish and I'm to take pictures of each item. Let me set the sceen. DARK bar! Food Photography, I've read is the hardest to photograph. I have no practice at food photography. I haven't even tried. I'm not interested it that at all. OMG! I will never do anything like that again.

Now that would be enough to make you wish you had stayed home.

jpgto Loc: North East Tennessee

My $0.02, you've won, you completed the shoot, although it wasn't what you planned on, you're semi happy with your work, you were able to tweak the shots to correct deficiencies and you've learned a major lesson here.
Now, I haven't seen it in the responses but....did you get to sample the food??? If you did, 'winner, winner, chicken dinner'! If not sorry!

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

Thanks, and no I didn't get even a bite.

jpgto wrote:

My $0.02, you've won, you completed the shoot, although it wasn't what you planned on, you're semi happy with your work, you were able to tweak the shots to correct deficiencies and you've learned a major lesson here.
Now, I haven't seen it in the responses but....did you get to sample the food??? If you did, 'winner, winner, chicken dinner'! If not sorry!