SETS AND SETTINGS
Oh look, someone was having a piece of cake with their coff ee
and they must have gone to answer the door because the coff ee
looks freshly poured and that cake looks so yummy. It looks
like they were just about to take the fi rst bite. I bet they can’t
wait to get back to it.What’s the focus of your shot? What story do you want
to tell? When you can answer these questions, you will
be able to begin deciding other issues. Keep in mind that
the story of your shot should be simple.Th e most important thing to remember when creating an
image specifi cally for the pop factor is to keep it simple.
More elements in the shot mean more distractions for
the viewer’s eyes. Less is best.TIPS FOR CHOOSING SETS AND SURFACES
FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
It’s time to make decisions about the set and surface for
the presentation of the food. Th ink about the color,
texture, and visual weight of the food item you’re shoot-
ing. By visual weight, I mean things like density and
whether the item is dark or light colored and what size
it is. For instance, a pan-seared thick fi let of beef is
dense. It’s mainly brown with some red if it’s cut open,
which makes it heavy with color. It’s not huge but it is
substantial. Will it need other foods as accompaniment?
It could be shown alone on a plate. However, even if
you shoot close up for a tight shot, the fi let might be
more interesting if enhanced with other foods that have
nondemanding colors and textures. To make the food
you’re featuring pop in the shot, the featured food
should stand out when combined with other foods. Th is
can be achieved by lighting and color. What foods and
food colors will complement your photo food? Refer to
the color wheel.NOTE Refer to the chapter on desserts for
details about the cake and frosting techniques used
in this chapter.
HOW TO MAKE FOOD POP IN THE IMAGE
Having a good grasp of the focal point and the story
you want to tell will help you determine the setting or
atmosphere for the shot. Th e focal point should be
quickly identifi ed by the viewer. Th is is called “pop” or
separation. Since we’re talking specifi cally about food,
you want the food to visually pop in the image you will
be creating. Th ere are decisions you can make during
the planning phase that will help make the food, the
focal point of your shot, pop.Now we’re selling cake!