Woolworths_Taste__January_2019

PHOTOGRAPH

JAN RAS

AND

JAKUB VANEK

30 TASTE JAN/FEB 2019

TAKE YOUR

BEST SHOT

Serious contender or Insta

wannabe? These are our tips

for taking better food photos

“Always start with the simplest layout

possible and add garnishes and other

elements with each shot. It’s much easier

toaddthantotakeaway,especiallywhen

things are prone to melting or mixing.”

–HannahLewry,TASTEfoodeditor

In your tool box:

• Prestik and toothpicks:to keep
  round objects in place.


• Aspraybottlefilledwithwater:
  to keep ingredients fresh and beautiful.


• Ablowtorch:to make chocolate
  glossyandchartheedgesofveggies.


• Metal skewers:to make griddle
  marks on meat.


• Surgical gloves:to avoid leaving
  fingerprints on chocolate.


• Eucalyptus oil:to remove stickers
  from packaging.


• Pins:to prevent chicken skin from
  shrinkingwhencooking–justmake
  sureyoucounthowmanyyouuse
  andremovethemallbeforeserving!


• Syringe: to add or remove liquid.

The styling:
“Bebraveandnatural.Ifyouwanttoget
intotheindustry,findaphotographer’s
assistant – someone else starting out –
andplaywithaffordabledishesliketoasted
cheese, so that you can learn and build
upaportfolio.Andalwayshaveabowl
oficedwaternexttoyoutorefreshthe
dish.Ineverputdryherbsonaplate,
alwaysdipthemfirst.”– Abigail Donnelly,
TASTE food director

“Always shoot in natural light and with
the freshest, most deliciously vibrant
produce you can find.”– Jacqueline Burgess,
TASTE multimedia food stylist

• Paintbrushes:to paint vegetable
  oil onto meat.


• Burn Shield emergency dressings:
  they can make all the difference in a crisis.

The cooking:

“You have to be delicate and careful when

you’recookingthefoodforashoot,

so that it looks beautiful. Everything

must be cooked with love. Being a food

assistant is great because you learn how

tofixrecipeswhentheydon’t work.”

–KateFerreira, food assistant

The props:

“Alwayschoosepropsandbackgrounds

thatwillenhancethefood,notfightwithit.

Lookforplatesthatallowthecolourofyour

dish to pop. Neutrals are always best

when you’re starting out. Avoid using

shiny plates, especially if you’re shooting

using your smartphone.”–BritaduPlessis

ofCheck!MyChina, a prop shop for professional

food stylists in Cape Town

The photograph:

TASTE photographer Jan Ras shares his tips

fortakingbetterphonephotos:

•Wipethecameralens(that blurry look

is probably a fingerprint).

•Holdthe phone as steady as possible.

•Neverusethezoom– rather get closer.

•Sitnexttoawindowtogetthebest

light.At night, or in bad light, don’t use

your phone’s flash. Rather ask a friend to

shine their cellphone’s torch onto the plate

from behind. Use a napkin to diffuse the

lightifit’stooharsh.

•Trydifferentanglesandwaysofframing

a subject. For example, try cropping off

onesideofaplate,centringit,orshooting

it from above.

•SwitchontheHDRsettingif your

phonehasone.HDRstandsfor“high

dynamic range’ and will allow you to work

with a greater range of light and dark (for

example,ifyouwantboththefoodand

theviewoutsidetobevisibleinashot.)

• Looking for a new phone?Take te s t
  shotsinstoreandcomparetheresults.
  If you’re splashing out, look for a phone
  with multiple lenses, which will allow
  you to play with depth of field (when the
  background goes out of focus). Some new
  top-of-the-range models also have very
  effective night mode functions – great
  for shooting dinners.

TABLE TALK