Overall Evaluation

Overall what I have really enjoyed about this unit is choosing exactly what I was to photograph while still having the techniques to learn in order to give more experience and techniques to use for our personal shoots. For my personal shoot I chose to look at food photography as there was endless ideas for shoots and foods to photograph. I could also use a range of both location and studio shoots and end up with unique professional photographs. For this project I mostly used the close up lens with a boom set up in order to get the brightest lights possible to show the shapes and colours of the photographs. I found that brightly coloured foods made the best photographs as they stood out and create very eye-catching and enticing photographs. Textured foods under the boom created interesting and detailed photographs. At first I decided that I would actually make the food in which I would photograph however after making a few items I found it was far less time consuming to buy the products and had just as positive results.

The definition pages meant that before starting any shoot I had an idea of what all of the words related to food photography meant which helped me to understand what my aim for each shoot was. I found four photographs from existing food photography and looked at all of the different features which make up the photographs and what makes them attractive and enticing. I also looked at the dictionary definition of food photography in order to understand the actual definition and then came up with my own interpretation of the definition to make the work personal to my project. For the image banks I found and annotated six photographs relating to each of the techniques and twenty five photographs relating to my personal project. By finding and annotating twenty five photographs for my personal project this allowed me to gain in-depth ideas for my own shoots and understand the requirements for food photography shoots. For the research log I found 20 different photographers who work in the food photography industry and researched them and there work. This helped me ensure that my work was presented professionally and continued to give me ideas for my own work. I then chose my favourite three photographers and looked at there work in more depth looking at how they would influence my work and what I liked about their work. Doing this with five photographers meant that my work had lots of different varieties of influence. With the techniques image bank this gave me an idea of what I was intending to achieve before starting so this made sure that all of the work was more successful.

After every shoot I would make a work diary discussing the points that were successful from the shoot and what could have been improved. By doing this I could decide after each shoot how best to improve the shoot for next and in order to end up with the best possible work. Work diaries also helped me expand on work that I had already done as by looking back at my own annotated work it was easier to see how work could be expanded to make it better and more detailed. To improve my work diaries I would make sure that every aspect of each photograph was discussed to ensure that all areas were covered.

After I had finished all of my personal and techniques shoots I connected my work to five different photographs. By doing this I could see how well my work fitted into the food photography industry and  how it connected from the work produced by others. To improve my connecting essays however I would look further into the meaning behind each photo and connect on more than a visual level. My connecting essays looked at the photos detail and meaning in comparison to that of a professional which allowed me to choose the best way to improve my work and whether it fitted into food photography.

Creating the print techniques allowed me to practice and experiment with the different features of photoshop and also improved my skills throughout the project. However to improve this section I would try and use even more varied and difficult features to make the work more interesting and unique. I mostly just did one thing to a photograph and then called it finished where as I would like to in future look more closely into each print technique and create an effect relevant to the photo itself.

Since the beginning of the project I feel that i have made huge progress in all areas of photography especially in planning and developing shoots. With regards to editing I think i have made huge improvements with using software such as photoshop which at the beginning of last year I was completely new to and the start of this year was still a novice. During this project as well as learning the techniques I also learnt how to create animation which are some of my favourite pieces of work from the project. I also feel that this project has improved my composition and layout of my work resulting in generally improved photographs.

Overall I have really enjoyed this project and the work set throughout. What I have enjoyed the most is the choice of what to shoot while still learning new techniques that can be used throughout my own personal shoots. To improve this project I would try and develop all of my shoots as much as possible just so that I have explored every area of food photography that is possible.

Connecting essay five

 This photographer uses a brunette model who appears to be in a slightly retro style of dress and hair who is featured eating candy floss. The background is soft baby colours which blend in with the girls dress and the candy floss however her nails clash with this theme as they are almost neon colours. The models slightly open mouth is intended to be slightly attractive and enticing to the audience and by having the candy floss just before it touches her young it gives the audience that feeling of mouth watering because its not reached her mouth. The lipstick work by the model is quite pink and noticeable and draws the eye of the audience directly here. The model is placed centrally with the candy floss to the side making her the main focal point.

In my photograph I chose to have Helena slightly turned and in the last third of the photograph so that the apple is almost central and the main focal point. I chose to have a bright pink background which clashes with the colour of the apple and makes it really stand out. I have chosen to use the mouth to entice the audience as by stopping it just before she takes a bite gives the audience this feeling of anticipation.



These two photographs connect due to the use of a brunette female model to show the product. Both of the models look directly into the camera which makes a connection with the audience. Both photographs also use the mouth to create anticipation for the audience. The mouth is also an area of the body which is found appealing and makes the photographs have a sort of sexual appeal. This is shown more in the professional photo as my photograph seems to have a more comedic feel to it. Lastly these photographs also have a slightly retro feel to them due to make up and costume. One of the main differences between these photographs is the costume used and background. In my photograph the background is plain pink and the clothes can not be seen but are fairly plain, this was to allow the audience to focus entirely on the food in the photograph. In the professional photograph the dress and background are baby colours and fit in with the cant floss to link the photo together as a whole.

Connecting essay four

 This photograph shows the splashing milk as it hits the bag of the cereal. The bag is placed slightly of centre and is placed against a dark background in order to show the full extent of the milk splash. The colouring of the cereal is quite bright and really stands out agains the black background. This photograph is most likely created for pleasure as I don't feel that this photo is a good photo for advertising. The photo is interesting because of how the milk has gone of in all different directions once it has hit the bag which against the black background makes an attractive and unique pattern.

My photograph shows the milk being poured into a bowl of shreddies. I chose to have the close up lens so that the stem of the milk can be seen in detail I edited the photograph to have a white background as I found this made the cereal stand out. The colouring of the cereal is quite bright also with the intention of making it stand out. I have chosen to put the milk stream central to the photo so that this is the main focal point. Generally this is a fairly dull photograph with very little intention.




These two photographs connect because they are both showing milks reaction as it hits the breakfast cereal. They also both feature a bright positive colouring for the cereal creating contrast with the milk and cereal. In both images the bowl is also placed as central as possible in order to control the focal point. A main difference between these photographs is the choice of background and pot used to contain the serial. I feel that the bowl is  more natural and realistic container however the black background in the professional photograph works better and shows the reaction of the milk as it hits the plastic bag.

Connecting essay three

 This photograph shows Christmas shaped ginger bread hanging down against a wooden background. The composition of the photo is really nice as the ginger bread is spread equally across the board. The white icing on the biscuits makes the outline of them stand out against the background as they are a similar colour. The lighting in this photograph is quite dull however this could be to illustrate the fact that this photograph is taken at christmas time when the lighting is not as bright as its winter. This is a generally attractive photograph and this is most likely because this photo is to advertise a product or to illustrate a recipe book so an attractive photo makes the audience buy or make this product. Each of the items made out of ginger bread could be used to tell a christmas themed story however the photographer has chosen to leave this up to the audience themselves.

My photo shows a tower of ginger bread biscuits against a blue background with white fake snow. I created a scene as ginger bread are actually supposed to be people. I chose to add the moon as this gives the photo cosy feel and the smiling faces of the ginger bread means that its a positive photograph. The composition of the ginger bread is central however takes up a large area of the photo and is the main focal point. I like to think that this photo gives a feel of unison that is often felt around christmas as the ginger men have been put together to create a christmas tree.

These two photographs connect because they are both christmas themed photographs of gingerbread biscuits. The composition of both photographs is spread so that it takes up a large amount of the background. The lighting in both photographs is quite dull but with the intention of portraying the whether of winter. Both photographs could be used to tell a story however leave this up to the audience as it means that they can fully conned with the photographs.

Video - Techniques Pages

1. Decide what you want to video.
2. Set up the tripod and choose a good composition.
3. Film for as long as you want.
4. Upload your videos and edit them.

Mid Project Action Plan

After receiving feedback for my work so far I have decided that to improve the rest of my work I will come up with more in-depth ideas for my shoots and continue previous shoots looking in further detail at the ideas. For example with the chocolate on the hand photograph I will look further into creating shoots that show how food messes you up and gets mesh. With the animal shoot I ail show further ho animals are used as food and finally I will plan what I wan to achieve from a shoot before I do it in order to achieve a more successful outcome.

Personal Shoot 14 - Work Diary

In this lesson I chose to create a christmassy scene with ginger bread trees and people. I think the composition of the photographs worked really well and the photographs turned out well. To improve this shoot I will try and incorporate more things made of ginger bread and experiment with different backgrounds and scenes. I would also look at making my own ginger bread products as I feel that this creates a photograph more personal to me.

I am really pleased with this animation with regards to composition and lighting however to improve it I would use a tripod to prevent even the slightest movements and consider different ways for this animation to play. Another thing that I would change about this animation is the way in which the ginger bread stops in the first position as this makes the animation flow less than it should.

I am really pleased with this photograph and this is my favourite one from the shoot due to the composition and colours. I also really like how the photograph only shows a section of the scene because i think this gives it a realistic feel despite being made of ginger bread. What worked really well with this shoot was having a realistic style setting whilst being able to compose the photo anyway I like do not using actual models.

This shoot was a development from other photographs which used a realistic setting and props as I found from previous shoots that it is easier if you do not use real models and instead use an object.

Personal Shoot 14 - My Photographs

Personal Shoot 13 - Work Diary

In this lesson I hoped to create an animation where the bowl would stay the same but the cereal contents would change. This shoot did not go to plan at all as the cereal ended up getting soggy to quickly and the background choose was not the best. If I were to do this shoot again I would put far more time into planning and bring lots of extra cereal and milk so that I can repeat the shoot once the cereal has gone soggy.

 I was fairly pleased with this edit from the shoot because the change in the background has made the photos a lot more successful and this is a very bright and eye catching photograph. I really like how the milk is caught mid stream as I think this makes the cereal more enticing to the audience. The multi-coloured background and repetition makes for an interesting photograph which has a sort of Andy Warhol style.

I am pleased with this photograph however I do feel that it could have been made a little bit more interesting. I like the composition of the photograph as I took influence from one of my photographers who uses close ups in order to make the food enticing. I also think that to improve this photograph I could use a more colourful food so the difference when changed to black and white with selective colour would be more obvious and eye catching.

A development that I may take from this shoot is colouring the actual foods in order to make them bright, different and eye-catching. 

Personal Shoot 13 - My Photographs

Connecting Essay two

In this photograph the frying pan is places slightly of centre filled and surrounded with the foods that make up a traditional fried breakfast. The background is a natural looking wooden board which makes the photo seem as if it has been taken on location of where the food has been cooked. Because the food is not laid out exactly perfect it gives the breakfast a very appealing and appetising appearance. The photograph has a very homely and hearty appearance which would be appealing to a very wide audience. The fork entices the audience as it is as if they can just reach out and eat the food in the photo. 

In my photograph I have chosen to have a black and white filter except on the breakfasts themselves as this helps the bright colours stand out. This shoot was done on location as I felt this gave the photos a more realistic and natural feel. The angle of the photo is just above and to the side of the table and is very appetising. By having the table set with sauces, water and cutlery the audience get the feel of home and feel as if they can just sit down and enjoy this breakfast.

These two photographs connect because they both have a location style setting and both feature the foods of a cooked breakfast. Both photos use quite a dark lighting for the area surrounding the breakfast itself in order to emphasise the bold bright colours. Both photographs also feature cutlery and give the audience that 'ready to eat' feeling despite the fact its just a photograph.

Connecting essay one

This photograph shows a cake on a baby pink background placed centrally. The cake is on a white cake stand and generally has a very appealing and retro appearance. The photo is very stereotypically girly which adds to the retro feel as they would be most likely to make the cakes. The composition of the photo works well because the plain background means the cake stands out yet the floral table cloth makes it seem a little bit more of a homely location. The tones in this photograph are very bright and happy colours which make a positive photograph. Because this is an attractive photograph this suggests that the cake would taste nice. The petals on top of the cake give the photo a more natural appearance and suggest that the ingredients used in the cake are natural which makes it more enticing to a modern audience.

In this photograph it has a retro feel due to the old fashioned style of cake decoration, the apron and the clothing worn by the model. I have chosen to place the model on the pink background to bring out the pink colouring on the cake and the red in the cherries. I have placed the photo centrally and the board is straight giving the photo a very formal and professional appearance. The photo has quite dull lighting and the background is a solid pinky red which has quite a powerful effect on the photo.

These photographs connect because they are both of cakes which are composed centrally in the photograph. Both photos also have a pink background and have a retro or old fashioned theme due to the use of props or costume. Both photographs are taken with the aim of enticing the audience to want a slice of cake and use cream and natural cherries/petals in order to meet this aim. Neither cake has taken particular detail in the icing as this somehow makes the cake seem more edible, than to a cake with perfect icing that know one wants to ruin.

Personal Shoot 12 - Work Diary

In this shoot I was once a gain hoping to achieve some advertisement style photographs. I was not particularly happy with the outcome as I feel these photos could have come out a lot better in both the shoot and the editing process.

This is probably my favourite edit from the shoot as it is the most interesting. I have used the Maltesers to create a background for the back to go on. My favourite thing about the photograph is the composition as I like how the back protrudes. To improve this photograph I would lighten the levels and curves to make the photo a bit more vibrant.

I am quite pleased with this photograph as the affect of the maltesers floating away has worked how I hoped it would. To improve however I would make suer that my background is completely white instead of that creamy colour. 

Personal Shoot 11 - Work Diary

Once again I was really pleased with the outcome of this shoot however it could have done with a little bit more planning as I feel there were other things that could have made these photos more interesting and unique. My aim for this shoot was to make it seem as if the berry flavours of the yoghurt were surrounding the pot and sort of advertise the yoghurt.

What I really like about this photo is the bright but natural colours of the berries and all of the red and pink tones which go together. I also like that the frost on the berries can be seen as this is another attractive feature of the photograph. To improve I would just crop a little bit closer as it is a little unclear what is happening in the background which draws the eye away a little bit. 

Once again I was pleased with the outcome of this photograph, especially the composition. If I were to edit this photo again I would consider changing the pot so that it is coloured instead of the innards as I'm not sure if the photo has achieved the exact look I was going for.

Shoots eleven, eight and seven are all developments from shoot five as they use the location and background in order to create a photograph that seems natural instead of set up for photography. The reason that I made this development is because I feel that shoot five went really well and that was due to the use of the model and table which created a more life like photograph.

Connected photographs…

These photographs are developments of one and other because they all rely on the setting and props to represent the food item being photographed.

Personal Shoot 12 - My Photographs

Personal Shoot 11 - My Photographs

Personal Shoot 10 - My Photographs

Personal Project 10 - Work Diary

In this shoot I chose to emphasise the natural colouring of the pear by using gold paint. I dipped the pear into the gold paint in order to achieve a dipping affect as if the gold in the pear was coming out of it. I really liked this idea however when it came to actually completing the shoot it did not go as well as I had hoped. I also decided to try and use the gold paint to represent the chocolate on the biscuits as gold is seen as something of luxury and so is chocolate however this also did not go to plan. If I were to  do this shoot again I would use a paint with a different consistency to get a more chocolate like affect.

This is one of my favourite edits from the shoot as it makes the photo look quite interesting and luxurious. To improve the photo I would lighten the curves and levels as the photo has gone a bit dull due to the added layers. I also like how the image of the pear is repeated on top as this makes a more eye-catching photograph. 

I am pleased with this photograph because the colour of the paint looks very bright and vibrant and the metallic shine can be seen making an attractive photograph. 

Personal Shoot 8 - Work diary

When doing this shoot I saw the ice lollies and thought that the bright colours would make an attractive photograph. Despite being pleased with the outcome of this shoot if I were to do it again I would plan a few different things to do rather than just putting them together and hoping for the best. 

This was my favourite photograph from this shoot due to the tangle of bright and vibrant colours and because you cannot see the background. I also like the fact that not all of the ice lollies are in focus as this makes the red one the main focal point of the photograph.

I wasn't particularly pleased with this edit from this shoot. I like the idea however I don't feel that it went exactly to plan as it is not exactly obvious what I was trying to achieve with the black background and bucket. I also don't like the shadows that are cast on the background.

Personal Shoot 7 - Work diary

In this shoot I chose to use a location instead of the studio to give the photos a more homely feel. I was really pleased with the outcome of these photographs as they are really appealing and tempting to look at. They also differ from all of my other shoots which adds a bit of variation in my work.

 This is one of my favourite photographs from the shoot as the detail in the photograph makes the photo seem textured and due to the photo being really clear and realistic makes it seem as if you can reach out and eat it.

This is another of my favourite photographs from this shoot however if I were to do this shoot again I would consider using different angles as most seem to be from a bit below eye level. I really like the fact that the cutlery is seen in this photograph as it makes the photograph seem even more homely and natural.

Connected photographs…

These photographs are linked because they all rely on the background, props and location to give a lifelike representation of the food.

Photographer Five - David Munns

David Munns chooses to display his photographs in two's either as a before and after style photograph or as a main and dessert. I really like Munn's work as it differs from that of other photographers and sort of tells more of a story. I will take influence from his work in that I will do the processes put into making a food item for example a cake. Overall I feel that this photographer has a different and unique style of photography.

 I think this is a really attractive and well composed photograph as the colours all fit really nicely together and the composition of the bowl is attractive and neat. I also like how the bowls on the left go through different shade of green making a generally attractive photograph and maintaining continuity throughout a multiple imagery piece. The only thing I don't like about this photograph is the fact that the bowls are not the first photograph as this would be in chronological order if it were with the idea of a starter and then the main course, however this is only based on an assumption of what is in the dishes.

 This photograph illustrates a kind of story of the creation of the cheese cake on the right as in the first photograph the hands can be seen covered in berry juice. The bright natural colour of the berries makes another attractive and eye-catching photograph. This also sort of advertises the dessert as the first image is almost implying how juicy and therefore tasty the dessert pictured in the second image is. The mess around the cheesecake suggests that the chef works in a messy fashion which indicates that it is homemade furthering the sense of advertisement. 

 I really love the composition of both halves of this photograph because the unusual plain plate shape in the first photograph is place central and in the second half of the image there are decretive colourful saucers. This photo is generally bright colourful and enticing. The image also has a slightly retro feel to it as the coloured blue and pink china plates are different to the plain modern crockery commonly used today. The idea of including the spoon in the image suggests to the audience that they can just reach out and eat the food in the photograph in front of them, making it a very appealing photograph. 

Lastly this photograph is once again really enticing and appealing. The background in the right hand image clashes with the food making it really stand out and is placed almost central with the juice of the fruit splashed around suggesting that they are that juicy that it has dripped off. In the first image it has a very girly and sickly appearance which would be very appealing. The dripping icing only adds to this and the cake stand and attractive retro setting adds more depth to the photograph. 

Influence - This photographer has inspired me to use different and clashing backgrounds both location and in the studio. I will also look at using different plates and saucers in order to make the food look more attractive. Lastly I will take influence from this photographers composition.As you can see from this photograph I have taken influence from the way that Mumms has chosen to include multiple images which show different food items whether they be in the same food category like the last photo or whether they are something like a main and a dessert. In my photograph I have chosen to show different citrus fruits taken separately by in one photograph. 

Summary - Over all I really like this photographers work due to his use of baby colours which clash with the colours in the food. I also like how he insinuates the juiciness and freshness of his ingredients by creating a background that is almost perfect despite the odd drop of fruit juice.