Comments on: Monk’s Advice on How to Improve Food Styling http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling Food Photography and Styling Tips Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:53:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: damien short http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling/comment-page-1/#comment-9473 damien short Tue, 17 May 2011 17:49:13 +0000 http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/?p=484#comment-9473 Monka can tell a lot about food. Monka can tell a lot about food.

]]> By: Neel http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling/comment-page-1/#comment-174 Neel Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:14:30 +0000 http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/?p=484#comment-174 Quinn, Thanks for letting us use the photograph and for agreeing to be the first experiment :) Quinn,

Thanks for letting us use the photograph and for agreeing to be the first experiment :)

]]> By: Viviane, Taste-Buds http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling/comment-page-1/#comment-173 Viviane, Taste-Buds Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:43:56 +0000 http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/?p=484#comment-173 I have done some reading on plating lately, I cannot say I am an expert, but seems there are rules: - Garnish has to be something you eat and not there just to decorate. - There is talk of a virtual clock where meat is at 2 o'clock, starch at 10 and veggies at 6. - Less is more is one of the rules. A big plate with a relatively small portion puts the food more in focus. White or off-white plates make the food stand out more too. - There has to be a certain color match. - The main part of the dish, usually the meat should be put most in focus for example a little elevated. - Food has to be simply plated so the person eating should be able to eat without having to go through an intricate design to be able to eat. - The dish has a face and the part in focus (usually the prettiest) should be towards the person eating, I think we can safely say the "eater" in this case is the camera. - It seems it also helps to sketch your plating before actually put it on the plate. I never tried this but I tend to visualize mentally before plating. I hope this helps, a lot of these helped me improve, so I thought I would share. In the case of this picture I would lose the pomegranate seeds and the spinach and keep the oranges since they are part of the recipe. Or Perhaps use the veggies as a side salad on which the wings can be leaned. I have done some reading on plating lately, I cannot say I am an expert, but seems there are rules:
- Garnish has to be something you eat and not there just to decorate.
- There is talk of a virtual clock where meat is at 2 o’clock, starch at 10 and veggies at 6.
- Less is more is one of the rules. A big plate with a relatively small portion puts the food more in focus. White or off-white plates make the food stand out more too.
- There has to be a certain color match.
- The main part of the dish, usually the meat should be put most in focus for example a little elevated.
- Food has to be simply plated so the person eating should be able to eat without having to go through an intricate design to be able to eat.
- The dish has a face and the part in focus (usually the prettiest) should be towards the person eating, I think we can safely say the “eater” in this case is the camera.
- It seems it also helps to sketch your plating before actually put it on the plate. I never tried this but I tend to visualize mentally before plating.

I hope this helps, a lot of these helped me improve, so I thought I would share.
In the case of this picture I would lose the pomegranate seeds and the spinach and keep the oranges since they are part of the recipe. Or Perhaps use the veggies as a side salad on which the wings can be leaned.

]]> By: Dhale http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling/comment-page-1/#comment-162 Dhale Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:22:22 +0000 http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/?p=484#comment-162 I agree with you, Neel. I think if two wings were plated with a fork and garnished with one orange segment and a few sprinkles of the red berries it would have looked more realistic. Though it is true that most Americans will consume four with no hesitation, you want to evoke a classier feel, as if you were at a cocktail party. Especially with the orange and berries garnish. If it were a Superbowl type food photograph, then maybe a cluster of four wings would be more appropriate. But then again, I am also just learning and have barely begun my experience so who am I to say? Anyway, I would truly appreciate feedback on any of my food styling and photography when you get the chance. Here's the link to my Culinary Musings blog: http://dhaleb.com I agree with you, Neel. I think if two wings were plated with a fork and garnished with one orange segment and a few sprinkles of the red berries it would have looked more realistic. Though it is true that most Americans will consume four with no hesitation, you want to evoke a classier feel, as if you were at a cocktail party. Especially with the orange and berries garnish. If it were a Superbowl type food photograph, then maybe a cluster of four wings would be more appropriate.

But then again, I am also just learning and have barely begun my experience so who am I to say? Anyway, I would truly appreciate feedback on any of my food styling and photography when you get the chance. Here’s the link to my Culinary Musings blog: http://dhaleb.com

]]> By: Quinn http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Quinn Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:27:40 +0000 http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/?p=484#comment-143 Hi Neel, First and foremost, thanks for the comment. I do agree less is more but I thought 4 was alright. As much as I like food photography and willing to learn, it comes down to the fact that that roasted wings was a dinner for two of us and I blog about it to share with others, rather not serving for my audience. Love the rim/border idea but I was trying to cover up the oriental look rim since that's the only oblong plate I have in hand. You can actually still see a little peaking out in pink and the plate actually looked like this (see pearl dumplings): http://foodgawker.com/post/2009/11/28/44439/ I'm not ready to invest so much in props and tend to use what I have in hand. Erica: Great minds think alike! I cannot find the perfect pair of wings that have been roasted evenly browned. I am a freak of symmetry too! All in all Neel, thanks for the post and idea! I love them and will learn and adapt accordingly! Cheers! Hi Neel,

First and foremost, thanks for the comment. I do agree less is more but I thought 4 was alright. As much as I like food photography and willing to learn, it comes down to the fact that that roasted wings was a dinner for two of us and I blog about it to share with others, rather not serving for my audience.

Love the rim/border idea but I was trying to cover up the oriental look rim since that’s the only oblong plate I have in hand. You can actually still see a little peaking out in pink and the plate actually looked like this (see pearl dumplings):

http://foodgawker.com/post/2009/11/28/44439/

I’m not ready to invest so much in props and tend to use what I have in hand.

Erica: Great minds think alike! I cannot find the perfect pair of wings that have been roasted evenly browned. I am a freak of symmetry too!

All in all Neel, thanks for the post and idea! I love them and will learn and adapt accordingly!

Cheers!

]]> By: screwdestiny http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling/comment-page-1/#comment-131 screwdestiny Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:41:56 +0000 http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/?p=484#comment-131 I think it's a lovely photo, and frankly I don't think showing two wings is too much. If you say one or two wings is something a person would reasonably eat, you don't know much of America nowadays. I know people who can easily down ten, so I think four is a good number for the photo. The only thing I can think of to improve it is to have not had so much blank space at the top, or for it to have been white--that way it would have contrasted the food nicely instead of just being this dull blue space. And I'm kind of a fan of symmetry, so I personally would have preferred two wing tips to the right and two to the left. But most people probably don't care about that. :-P Overall, though, great photo. Love the colors and the composition! I think it’s a lovely photo, and frankly I don’t think showing two wings is too much. If you say one or two wings is something a person would reasonably eat, you don’t know much of America nowadays. I know people who can easily down ten, so I think four is a good number for the photo. The only thing I can think of to improve it is to have not had so much blank space at the top, or for it to have been white–that way it would have contrasted the food nicely instead of just being this dull blue space. And I’m kind of a fan of symmetry, so I personally would have preferred two wing tips to the right and two to the left. But most people probably don’t care about that. :-P Overall, though, great photo. Love the colors and the composition!

]]> By: Wizzythestick http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/monks-advice-on-how-to-improve-food-styling/comment-page-1/#comment-127 Wizzythestick Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:27:36 +0000 http://www.learnfoodphotography.com/?p=484#comment-127 I don't feel at all qualified to tell anyone how to take better photos but I can offer a tip. Sometimes before I take a photograph I search google or flickr for images to see how others have treated the same subject. Studying those images gives me ideas about how I should style food. I usually pick a photo I like and try to recreate certain elements, the composition the lighting etc. My final result is always from the picture I have chosen because I don't have the same style plates or coloured props as the original but that's okay. I am not looking to produce a copy of someone's photo but I do want to copy their technique for making a great photo. I don’t feel at all qualified to tell anyone how to take better photos but I can offer a tip. Sometimes before I take a photograph I search google or flickr for images to see how others have treated the same subject. Studying those images gives me ideas about how I should style food. I usually pick a photo I like and try to recreate certain elements, the composition the lighting etc. My final result is always from the picture I have chosen because I don’t have the same style plates or coloured props as the original but that’s okay. I am not looking to produce a copy of someone’s photo but I do want to copy their technique for making a great photo.

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