Window shopping can teach you a lot about food photography.
As we have talked about type of food photography previously, there are different approaches of food photography based on the goal and type of client.
Grocery stores have lot of places to read food photographs. Each aisle has a different type of food and a different subject. This provides us a lot of variety and examples of many different photos. Depending on what aisle you are in, you may be looking at a pasta photo or a dessert.
Most grocery stores have huge signs to mark different areas. Often these markers also have food photos on them and are mostly raw food photos. These are amazing places to study these raw photos. This is a great way to study what type of stock photos work in food category.
This tip is very action oriented so let’s jump right into the assignment for today.
Suggested Resources
Your Assignment
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Visit your favorite grocery store.
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Carry a notebook and pen/pencil.
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Visit an aisle of your choice. Let’s say that’s ice cream aisle.
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Look at the packaging on ice cream boxes. Do you see a photograph? Pick a product that has photos.
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Read these photos. Don’t note anything. Just read. What do you see? Can you see the direction of light? Is the photo composed? In most cases, packaging designers edit the photo that was taken by photographer. See how the editing is done.
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Now note what you learned. Answer the questions. Draw a quick sketch.
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If you were to recreate this photo, what would you need? What elements would you need?
Have you observed food photos in grocery store? Where else have you seen food photos? Have you analyzed them and studied them?
Photo by lyzadanger
Great idea Neel! I look at all foodphotos I see. It’s sort of an obsession almost. Lol. I look at what I could do better but also the things I certainly don’t want to do.. And sometimes , to test a new lighting technique I try and recreate the exact same photo. Great way to learn!
all good tips and thanks for the assignment idea