Feedback is important for growth. If you want to get better at something, it is important to practice and practice and practice. But with that, it is also important to get some feedback. Feedback helps you to understand different perspectives and helps you open your mind to new possibilities.
Here at this blog, we are restarting a regular food photo feedback section to help you get feedback from fellow readers and food photographers. If you like to get feedback or critique on your food photos (and a link back to your blog) please email me at neel[at]learnfoodphotography[dot]com
Photographing Strawberry Rice Pudding
Nashira (her blog) contacted me looking for some feedback on this photograph.
Goal with This Photograph
My aim is to entice people to cook and eat the dish photographed.
Photography Gear and Technical Details
Mine is a point and shoot camera- Canon PowerShot SX 200 IS
Shooting mode: Program AE
Tv shutter speed: 1/125
Av (Aperture value): 5.0
Exposure compensation: 0
ISO speed: 200 (auto)
Focal length: 39.7 mm
White balance: auto
Looking for Feedback on…
I’m open to comments on just about anything related to the picture. I’d especially welcome comments on problem areas and ways to improve it. … my concern is about food styling, use of colours, lighting and the total appeal of the picture.
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My Two Cents
Nashira, overall I like this photo. In my opinion, this photo has technical a good photo. The subject is exposed right. The subject is in focus and is sharp. Technically there is nothing wrong with this photo.
Your goal was to entice or invite people to eat the dish. In that terms, a photograph about a dish is often more inviting than a photo of a dish. (Read more on “photo about a dish” versus “photo of a dish”)
I am going to leave this at a very high level at this time, so that I don’t influence anyone else’s opinion and feedback.
Readers, What Do You Think
What do you like about this image and how would you improve it? What would you add to this image? What would you subtract? Tell us in the comments below.What would you change in this image?
If you would like to get feedback on your photograph, please leave a comment below or fill this form.
Looks great, the food looks superb! I’d say there might be a bit too much light but most importantly the size of the spoon is distracting. I find myself looking at it more than the food. Fantastic shot though!
Although I cannot find any technical complaints there is something wrong. And after looking over and over and over I got it: same as matt: The spoon is taking my attention in stead of the food. And that’s a pitty as light is just fine.
I would lower the point of view and lay down the spoon
Bye
Martijn
Those strawberries look delicious.
The orientation of the spoon bothers me more than the size. It’s not the usual setting for a spoon, so it draws attention away from the rice pudding. Plus, it’s a little too ornate. A simple silver-toned spoon laying on the napkin/placemat in front of or beside the rice pudding would seem more natural to me.
I also think the purple and green tablecloth is too busy for the photo. The rice pudding and strawberries should be the most important color/texture/pattern in the photo to make it stand out.
Great start!
I love the plating of the rice pudding, the fresh strawberries on top really help to add vibrancy and contrast to the photo – lovely looking dessert!!
The biggest issue to me is that the lighting seems a bit harsh. It looks to me like a strong shadow was cast by your light, and so in order to expose properly for the shadowed part, the rest of the photo got blown out. I usually don’t mind blown out backgrounds, but I think I’d rather not lose the bottom right side of the glass. I would suggest either diffusing your light a bit more, or adding a reflecting surface of some kind to help soften the shadow and even the distribution of light a bit.
Great job!!
The picture is good as it is but a couple of tweaks would improve it.
As already mentioned, the spoon dominates the composition taking attention away from the food. I would try moving it into the blank area of the background behind the dish where it will be out of focus and also add extra light to the spoon so it will be overexposed. Keeping the spoon in the picture acts as an invitation to eat the food. Try positioning the spoon so it ‘frames’ the strawberries.
I’d also use a reflector to add more light to the shadow area on the left. A reflector made of crumpled up then flattened out aluminum foil taped to a piece of cardboard will also add a bit of sparkle to the glass and strawberries.
This is more a matter of style but I would also move in a bit closer. You don’t need to show the whole glass but I’d like the rice texture to be a bit more prominent.
Looks yummy!
Hi LesHoward, thanks so much for your valuable suggestions and tips. I shoot in daylight, usually in the AM, and I guess that’s the reason I end up with harsh shadows. I’ll have to try your suggestion and see how it works with an aluminum foil reflector.
At the outset, thank y’all for sharing your valuable feedback! I’m delighted to get information from talented professionals like you. This is already proving to be a great learning experience. Thank you, Neel, for giving me this opportunity
Matt: Thanks so much! Your comments on the size of the spoon captured my attention. I guess it was at the back of my mind, but for some reason it never registered. Now that you mention it, I clearly see how distracting it is!
Martijn: Thanks for nailing it down! You see being an amateur, I take way too many pictures and I actually end up being confused about with ones to post. If you look at my post for this particular dish ( http://nashplateful.blogspot.com/2011/01/strawberry-rice-pudding.html#more) you can see a series of snapshots, and one with the spoon down as you mentioned.
Marisa: Thank you for your thoughts! I am guilty of admitting that I am a real sucker for cute looking spoons/forks and I tend to use them a lot in my food photographs
The other reason I didn’t use a silver spoon this time was to reduce the issue with highlights.
Jenn: Thanks for your suggestions! Actually, I’ve often had challenges with shadows and didn’t know how tackle this issue.
I am trying to improve my food photography and so much appreciate this website and all the helpful information.
The rice pudding looks absolutely delicious, particularly with the red strawberries on top. I like your DOF and the high-key background, but my attention keeps coming back to that spoon. It is the star attraction and I keep waiting for it to fall. I guess it is because I find it to be in a most unnatural position.
My first response to seeing this photo was… “I would never have thought to put a spoon in that position”, and I am still not sure if that is a good or bad thing… just different.
And… bravo for the P&S and the eye behind it! Isn’t technology grand!
Hello Fay, I totally agree that Neel’s website is rich in information, especially for total amateur photographers like me! I appreciate your honest thoughts on my photo. It helps to know how people see my work, even at this stage
Love the composition.
Thank you, Mei, nice of you to say so!
I think a little fill light card reflection that would light up the shadowy part of the glass and the spoon on the left front side would direct the attention from the slightly too large spoon and onto the lovely rice pudding. It is a lovely shot!
Hi Ilva, thank you for your lovely comments!
I would also suggest to place the spoon in a more natural position, use a less ornate table cloths and to play with a different angle. Also, the napkin looks like a paper napkin, maybe you want to exchange that with a fabric. Good starting point!
Hi Evi, I’ve noted all your recommendations, thanks for the review!
Hi Nashira, I think your image has a great foundation to build on! As a prop stylist, I am going to limit my suggestions to that area. The spoon placement seems to be disturbing to many, though this positioning has been used in many editorial publications effectively. The scale of the spoon is too large, as mentioned. If you are in doubt about proportion, ask yourself: could I comfortably eat that pudding from that glass with that spoon? Try it…if it is problematic, move on. Also, the spoon has a very rigid line, a very straight handle. Try a spoon that has softer curves to play against the straight line of the glass. I would also go simple design, the neck of the spoon is very ornate for this type of recipe. If you place a dramatic prop in a dramatic postion, that’s where the eye goes. To expand on Evi’s comments, I love the shot of color in the tablecloth. The green and lavender looks very fresh, which subliminally tells me this recipe is just made and topped with berries straight from the garden! Seeing more of the pattern may get too busy, but I think it warrants being played with. The paper napkin is very dense white, I might try replacing it with a white linen cocktail napkin (again, for proportion sake). That single layer of small white fabric would probably let some of the pattern of the tablecloth show through, but diffuse it, around the base of the glass. With the bright white behind the glass and in the current paper napkin, the glass is kind of floating in white. A little tone in the foreground will help ground it.
Okay, changed my mind…just a bit about the food styling. The berries are in a very heavy layer across the top of the pudding. I would like to see some open space, more of a casual dropping of the berries onto the pudding. See the way the berry on the left is interacting with the pudding? A little more of this would be so tasty! Don’t over work it, but the little details means so much. Thanks for putting your work out there for discussion!
Thanks for your kind review, generous comments and valuable feedback, Paula. Every comment is a new learning experience, trust me. I truly hope to improve the quality of my work from all the support and assistance I’ve received from you all. Many thanks for your time and efforts!
I would probably be the only one not complaining about the spoon
. I actually like it a lot. I find the pattern on the napkin not matching in color, and it is distracting for me. I also don’t mind the white, burned-out background, but I find the side of the spoon overexposed, almost blinding, especially that the rest of the spoon is in dark shadow. I love how the glass with pudding is styled, with cut strawberries complementing the texture of the pudding- I wouldn’t mind seeing only that on the image. Good job!
Am a little late, but am adding my two cents’ worth. I like minimalistic food photography so I like the picture, but I find it a little over exposed. I think the placement of the spoon is fine, but a smaller and more delicate looking spoon would have been better.
I feel the pattern on the napkin adds a nice contrast and perhaps the placing of the glass a little off-centre (to the right) would have shown it better.
Given the angle of your shot, I find the strawberries grabbing my attention, whereas I’m assuming the subject of the photograph is the rice pudding? I would have used a few of the strawberries to decorate perhaps 1/3 rd of the top (rather than as a layer) so that some part of the rice/ rice pudding would also show. Otherwise I would have shot from a lower angle.
It feels like the spoon is positioned awkwardly, it would look better if it were at an angle. Maybe use some blue tack to keep it in place? Though the spoon is too big, the detail on the hilt makes it interesting – maybe a desert spoon from the same set would have been better. I find the white background to be a bit too bright as it causes part of the spoon’s handle to be washed out. The glass has a bit too much headspace too, the glass is too centered and doesn’t follow the rule of thirds.
The color combination is good though, and i do want to try the dish based on the photo.
Yeah, I’d say you did a good job on this photo. Makes me hungry!
I LOVE everything about this photo! I think it is gorgeous and I really LOVE the spoon and the position it is in and I think that is very unique. I especially love the red of the strawberries and that’s where my eye was drawn to. Also the floral fabric is very soft and pretty. I go to a lot of Food Blogs and I would compare your photography to that of the same as Cannelle et Vanille. I LOVE the white, light look and think this photo and all of your photo’s are exquisite and very professional.
I was stunned to learn you are using a Point & Shoot camera, as I scanned your blog when I first visited for which type of high tech DSLR camera you were using. I was sure you were using the Canon 5D Mark II !
I guess it just goes to show you that it really isn’t the camera, it’s who is behind it that counts! Keep On!! I LOVE ALL of your photography! I don’t think you need to be critiqued!
The shot is overexposed and looks a bit bleached. You have to check your histogram when shooting and editing. Lots of details is lost. The result is a white that burns the eyes and it doesn’t do just to the creamy colour of the rise pudding.
Some times in props less is more – a nice plain porcelain spoon would have helped your photo more than this spoon. Be careful with your White Balance and always check on your LCD your histogram before shooting. Cheers!