Lot of people can take a photograph, but making a photograph is the real deal. The real skill lies in making and not taking a photograph. A click here and a click there won’t guarantee you a great photograph. While there’s a plethora of reading material online and in print about taking great photograph, this post briefly talks about how to make a great photograph. Before being a good food photographer, it is worthwhile to look at how to make a great photograph. Most of the discussion is focused around food photography.
So, What is a Great Photograph?
A great photograph is something that catches attention and holds it and generates emotion in you. But that’s not it, this emotion not let you take your eyes off that photograph and will make you desire more of that visual tonic. A great photograph is so visually appealing that your eyes just cannot get enough of that.
Some have defined a great photograph as something that it looks very inviting in a thumbnail size and once it is enlarged you can’t take your eyes off it.
4 Basic Elements of a Great Photograph
A great photograph is a masterpiece. It is made only after putting some thought to it. Unlike a casual snap, several aspects of the subjects are carefully considered and then the photograph is thoughtfully made. Below are the basic elements that should be considered for making a great photograph. These are just four elements and by no means represent all elements required for a great photograph.
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Thoughtful Composition
Composition in a photograph is defined by how the subject and supporting objects placed in the photographic frame. Composition is a complex aspect of a good photograph. In food photography, composition is not just placing the food or drink in the frame, it is also styling the food. In future posts, we will talk about composition and food styling in more details. If you would like be stay updated and get next posts on composing the photograph, please choose RSS link or email link to be the first one to get these posts. -
Abundant Lighting
As oil colors are to oil paintings, light is to photograph. There can be no photograph if there is no light. Some of you may say, “I take photographs at night and there is no light”. Well, night doesn’t mean no light, it just means, low light. Proper amount of light is required to make great photographs. When light is low and exposure isn’t proper, the underexposed parts of the photograph turn out to be darker. The general understanding is that food photograph that is black or dark and isn’t properly lit, turns off the audience. -
Vibrant Colors
Color is an important aspect of a great photograph. In food photography, the vibrant colors attract attention. A photograph of bright red colored strawberry partially covered with chocolate will be mouth watering to observers. However, it is also important to get the colors right. Food not in its natural color becomes less appetizing. A slightly blue strawberry is no longer as appetizing as the red strawberry in real life. -
Pinpoint Sharpness
Sharpness of a photograph is achieved by properly focusing the subject. A stunning photograph has one or more areas that are perfectly focused. Now, there can be purposely out-of-focused areas or entire photograph will soft focus, but that is not usually done in Food Photography. In general, the sharper the image the more stunning it is. Blurred or out of focus background with perfectly focused subjects or areas make image pop out and make a photograph stunning.
Other Elements of Stunning Photograph
As mentioned previously, their are more elements that are required to make a stunning photograph. A good composition, enough light and lively colors are just few of the many elements that make a great photograph. What would you add to this list? What have you observed? In your experience, what makes an awesome photograph?
Photo Credits
- Spaghetti Tossed with Veg Oil by www.hafizismail.net
- Crackers with humus by olgucz
- Goat Cheese Tarts by Vanessa Pike-Russell
- Lychee Charlotte Cheesecake by bossacafez
- Plate of Raspberries and Blueberries by .craig
This is a very informative post. Will be sharing it on my Facebook page! =)