Task 4 - Food For Thought

Plan I

    


My first idea is to photograph Profiteroles. I've chosen these images because they inspire me with the way they look. All of these images have depth of field in common where the background is blurred. I think this is one of the reasons why I've been drawn to the profiteroles. They look extremely appetising and there's a couple of different ways that i could potentially photograph them with the arrangements.

Some planning if I were to photo-shoot:
I would photograph my images in a still life way at home in the kitchen. I would intend to use natural lighting because I feel like you get the best results with it when it comes to food. I'd make sure I do them during daytime so my images are nice and bright. If things doesn't go to plan, then when I shoot on manual, I'd ensure that the exposure needle is set on 1 so it's bright. I won't need to make any arrangements because it's mainly still life. I will need my camera, SD card, battery and most importantly - I will need to buy some profiteroles. I can use some cutlery and plates that I have at home. The costs towards this shoot will go towards my profiteroles which will cost around £2-3 and my bus pass to travel to a supermarket.

Risk Assessment:

Hazard	Persons At Risk and How	Existing Control Measures What are you currently doing to prevent it?	Probability	Severity	Risk Level
Stumbling	Me, Dropping a profiterole and slipping over it on to kitchen marble tiles.	Hold the profiteroles with care and be sensible at all times.	2	2	4
Stepping on glass	Me, Breaking a plate and then stepping over glass.	Hold plates with 2 hands and walk sensibly.	2	3	6
Tripping over	Me, Tripping over the equipment if I don’t keep it away	Keep any not in use  equipment away safely. Use only when required.	2	2	4
Cutting myself	Me, If a knife is required, could accidently cut my fingers.	Use the knife appropriately and then put it straight back after use.	2	3	6
Slipping	Me, I could potentially slip if there is any water on the slippery tiles.	Wear some indoor shoes and just check to ensure its safe.	2	2	4

Plan II

   

My second idea is the theme of BBQ/Grilled food. I would like to capture some grilled food because it looks appetising which is ideally what I'd want for my images and it's quite a popular cuisine. These are some of the images that inspires me when it comes to BBQ/grilled food. This theme gives me many pathways of what I could capture which I've covered in my research. I could capture the chef preparing the food or capturing the grill, all the way to photographing the final meal. Coincidently, when I was research BBQ food, I found this flat lay image which is a very nice example of food being presented on a chopping board which is quite common in some restaurants now. All of these images have bright colours in common, I think it's one of the main elements that makes the theme work because usually you would associate the summer season to a BBQ.

Some planning if I were to photo-shoot:
As it's currently October, I feel like this is not the time to be capturing a BBQ. I could try go to a grilled food restaurant/take away and capture some shots there. I could also use a grill at home and make it look all BBQ themed. I would intend to use natural lighting so my images look natural and appetising. I'd make sure I do them during daytime so my images are nice and bright. I will need to research and find a place where I can shoot images of grilled or BBQ food. Then arrange to visit there so it may require me travelling far out. I will need my camera, SD card, and a battery to go shooting for a day. If there is any props there like the tongs then I would use whatever is accessible. I won't be too fussed if there's no props because I'm shooting elsewhere. As long as my images focuses on the food and it looks nice and presentable, then I would call it a success. The costs towards this shoot will go towards perhaps buying some food in order to catch some shots which will cost around £2-3 and my bus pass to travel around.

Risk Assessment:

Hazard	Persons At Risk and How	Existing Control Measures What are you currently doing to prevent it?	Probability	Severity	Risk Level
Burning myself	Me, Touching any hot surfaces unwarily.	Try not to touch anything or ask staff.	2	3	6
Stepping on glass	Me and staff, Breaking a plate and then possibly stepping over glass.	Hold plates with 2 hands and walk sensibly all times.	2	2	4
Tripping over	Me and staff, Tripping over the equipment if I don’t keep it away	Keep any not in use  equipment away safely. Use only when required.	2	2	4
Getting cut	Me, If staff is using a knife, I could get hurt accidently.	Stay well back when they are using a knife.	2	3	6
Slipping	Me, I could potentially slip if there is any water on the shop floor.	Wear some suitable shoes and just check to ensure its safe.	2	2	4

Plan III

    

My last idea is the theme of cakes. I am leaning more towards the dessert side of food which is why I also chose profiteroles very specifically. You could say cakes is similar to my profiteroles idea because it's linked to baking but to me, it's a lot different because it's not really a fresh chilled dessert. I think cake photography is quite popular on the internet and there are some tempting photographs of cakes out there. These images are examples that inspire me because they all use different lighting and techniques.

Some planning if I were to photo-shoot:
I would probably photograph my images at home near a window. I would intend to use natural lighting however unlike my other two plans, I would perhaps try use artificial lighting so it's more distinctive. I'd probably be shooting during daytime so my images are nice and bright. Before all that, I will either need to buy a cake or bake a cake. So this plan is split into two parts. I will need to arrange if I buy a cake, which will require travelling. Or bake a cake which I will require some ingredients. I will need my camera, SD card, battery for the shoot. I can use some cutlery and plates that I have at home. The costs towards this shoot will go towards an actual cake which cost cost £6-£10, or go towards my ingredients and travelling for both plans.

Risk Assessment:

Hazard	Persons At Risk and How	Existing Control Measures What are you currently doing to prevent it?	Probability	Severity	Risk Level
Burning myself	Me, Touching the oven if I am baking	Wear oven gloves	2	2	4
Stepping on glass	Me, Breaking a plate and then possibly stepping over glass.	Hold plates with 2 hands and walk sensibly all times.	2	2	4
Tripping over	Me, Tripping over the equipment if I don’t keep it away.	Not leave any equipment around.	2	2	4
Getting cut	Me, Whilst using a knife to cut the cake.	Hold the knife appropriately and use carefully.	2	3	6
Slipping	Me, I could potentially slip if there is any water on the floor.	Watch where I'm walking, wear appropriate shoes,	2	2	4

Now that I've planned my ideas, I've decided to do plan I as my main idea and go ahead and start shooting. Here are my contact prints for my images:

These are my images for my profiterole idea. I went to Tesco and brought a profiterole tower that was fresh in the dessert aisle. I've taken a range of images with good lighting and different techniques. The only problematic thing I would change in my images is the look of the profiteroles. The chocolate didn't look like it was melting and it just looked too frozen compared to the images that I've used as my influences. I've tried to defrost them and even microwave a few profiteroles but it would just collapse so it wasn't ideal. So I might consider shooting again and try out my other plans. Here are some of my images:

1

This is my first image which I thought looked quite nice. It's a close up shot of a single profiterole and i decided to capture it this way using a spoon. I like the lighting in this image because it's lit well and you can see the light reflecting on the chocolate and the sponge. I've used this spoon as my prop and this white plate because I think it gives it a nice elegant look which works nicely with my profiterole. The image is pretty over exposed just a little but I was intending for this look because I wanted the image to be bright so it stands out. This image is also non edited so this is how it originally is. I like the way The focus is sharp on the spoon bit but then loses focus near the chocolate. That small use of depth of focus just brings out some of the details rather than having all of the image in sharp focus. I decided to take this shot in a horizontal format because I wanted to fit the plate.

2

This is a similar image to the previous but at a different angle. I included more of the location that is blurred so it looks bookeh. The main focus is on the pastry on the spoon and the bit on the foreground. This is a closer shot and the main objective behind it is to show it in a different perspective. 

3

This image focuses more on the chocolate and the cream. The reason I picked it was because of how sharp it looks when you see the chocolate. I just like the details of the way the chocolate is melting of there and the cream that is just under. I also like the white space around it and the shadows of the plate encloses the image, making the profiterole the main focus. I've zoomed in where some of the pastry is cut off, this is so it's quite evident that the main focus is on the chocolate.

4

Here is a vertical version of the profiterole on a spoon. I like this image because the way depth of field is used. It is so sharp on the spoon and the rest of the background is blurred. This just makes you focus on that little bit that's been broken into with the cream indulging it. I like how there is this chocolate mess on the plate just under the spoon, this sort of works as a shadow and just diverts your attention on the spoon.

5

This is me using the flat lay technique on my profiteroles. I'm not so keen on this image but I see it more as an experimentation. From looking at some of the research I've done, some images are very popular being taken from the floor. The just gives the image a nice background of like wood or some form of texture. However, I'm not keen on this technique. I think you can pull it off with wood but otherwise it's not really natural. 

6

Here is my last image. I've chosen this one because I like how overly exposed the background looks here and that emphasises on the profiteroles to stand out. The lighting on the image is pretty good and you can see the effect it gives on the profiteroles to light up. The tones on the chocolate look really delightful and I like how the swirls are going around the profiteroles and the way the profiteroles are all stacked up like a tower.


So as I've touched upon, I will be going out and taking some more additional images because I feel like I can do better and I want to photograph a variety of food. After doing some research, I found out that Sunday Markets would have food stalls around here so there could be any street food along the lines of my plan. So I've arranged to go Leeds on the first Sunday of the month of October to shoot some images. I was informed that the first and the last Sunday of the month is a special occasion where they have lots of food stalls. Here are my contact prints for my second shoot:

I am so, so pleased with this photoshoot. I found various food stalls that worked along my plan and ideas, and it went better than I hoped for. I got some really good pictures and I think I've worked along various themes too, such as catching still life shots and picture of someone cooking food. I've also spent time and considered my shots as I was shooting. Luckily I was photographing during daytime and the images came out nice and bright. This is an advantage because it makes the food look appetising effectively. Here are some of the images:

BBQ/Grilled Themed Food

Pulled Pork

Here is my first image of pulled pork that is captured from an electrical grill. I like how you can see the smoke coming out of the food which is a nice quality of food photography when it comes to hot food. I've captured this in a horizontal format so I can capture the background too. I like how I've included the sauces in the back because it brings some colour into the shot. You can see the man in the back who is preparing some wraps, and I just like how the smoke is visible near his arms. The lighting is quite nice and natural here, and there is more sunlight in the back which immediately stands out because of the white. But due to the angle I shot it at, you first initially see the meat.

Fresh Deli Sandwiches

This stall was selling some deli sandwiches that uses the grill to toast their bread. I like the way the bread is organised and how one is ready to take out. They've used some herbs and lettuce to garnish the bread and I think this makes the food look great. I've captured and put these two images together because one shows the full grill and one is a close up of the bread at a better angle. I like how I've captured the little details like the bread crumbs. Also adjusted the focus manually so it's fully sharp on the garnished bread and the back is out of focus. I like the golden colour tones to the image because it looks makes the food look tasty. The use of natural lighting is also great because it gives the picture this naturalistic look.

Sausages

Here's an image of sausages in a huge pan. I like the golden colours of the sausage and I think it contrasts nicely with the black colours in the image. I've taken this at a high angle and zoomed out for this wide angle look of the pan but there's only much I can do with a standard lens. I like how the person at the back is also captured and you can see them frying onions with their tongs. I like how that's also been caught in sharp focus and it makes it a nice image. If you look closely, you can see the back is out of focus just near the onions pan. I think this subconsciously makes the pans the main focus of the image.

Preparing Burgers

This is my version of the image I've selected for my plan. I've decided to recreate the image in this location. One thing I like about this image is the colours. I like how he's wearing a green stripy apron and that coincidently matches the roof. I like the way he's using the tongs and just holding the burger which differs to the inspirational picture. You can also see the grill I've been photographing at and how the burgers and sausages were laid out.

Sausages

This is a close up shot of cooked sausages. I like how they've been organised in a line so I thought I'd grab the opportunity of photographing this shot before they were sold out. I like how there's this shallow depth of field in the back so the main focus of the image is on the sausages. I also noticed that the oil has been captured effectively and you can see it sizzling with the bubbles. I really like the look of the sausages because of the grilled look. I think this worked really nicely with my idea so I was glad that I managed to photograph along my theme.

Tortilla Wraps 

I'm really fond of this image of this tortilla food stall. I just like how dark yet colourful the image is. I get the sense of a Mexican theme here because of the food. I love how colourful the filling looks because the mince meat is mixed with colourful peppers, onions and herbs. Even the uniform of this checkered apron gives it a nice touch in my opinion. I specifically picked this image because of the way she was tossing the wrap. I captured it at a point where it looks curvy and I was just capturing the documentary side of it. I like how the grill and the pan looks in terms of size and scale because you can compare it to the tortilla wrap. 

Desserts

Doughnuts 

Here is the first image under the desserts theme. I saw these freshly fried doughnuts and just had to take a picture. I love how these look with the sugar coated over it. I also love how the filling is is visible and both of these features make it look appetising. I like how sharp the focus is on the doughnuts and there's not really a distinctive use of depth of field. The lighting in the image also gives it a naturalistic look and it enhances the doughnuts to be very detailed.

Cake

This is a vertical image of a cake that has been sliced. I've used shallow depth of field in this image because it focuses on that specific cake that has been nicely sliced. I went for capturing this sliced cake because you can see the layers inside of the cream and it's been shot sharply so the details on the sponge is very distinctive.  

Victoria Sponge

Here is another image of a single cake. I've used great depth of field in this image so the foreground strawberries are in focus and the back strawberries are out of focus. I think this just gives the image some depth and makes the cake more appealing to look at. I like how the cake looks with the strawberries sitting on some cream and even the details in each layer of the cream and jam. I like how there's also flour on the top which is elements of a cake that makes the presentation on point.

Profiteroles on a cheesecake

Coincidently, there was this cheesecake that had profiteroles on top. These profiteroles do look different to mine because it's fully covered in a dark chocolate shell. The shell is actually solid but it looks like it's melted chocolate on top because of the glossy colour. I chose not to use shallow depth of field in this so it just focuses on the cheesecake, instead I used a smaller use where only the end is blurred. But the composition of the shot and the angle should give away that the cheesecake is the main focus of the image. Even the dark chocolate draws your eyes before the cake behind does.

Strawberry Tarts

This is one of my favourite images from the dessert side of the shoot. I just love how this shallow depth of field is used to focus on that specific strawberry tart and I just love the details coming from it. The whipped cream looks flawless and the strawberry looks nice and vibrant. I love how the camera is held straight so the lines in the image is very natural. The angle is working with it too because it's not overly high catching the top, it's more eye-level and I just instantly thought it was a good image when I first saw it. I think the foil it's sitting on it also catches some of the light and adds a nice shine to it. I feel like this could be used in a food magazine because of how sharp it looks.

Lemon Tart

Here is a lemon tart that I've photographed. I've used depth of field once again to focus on the foreground especially along the pastry. One thing I like about this image is that separate slice that is just positioned there. I feel like it's an additional prop and it allows you to see the depth and the look of the layer. I like the flour that is coated over the tart and I like how there is this fabric material under that it's placed on. I think this gives it a nice and smooth texture and brings out this appealing factor if you like lemon flavoured desserts. 

Victoria Sponge 2

Here is another Victoria sponge cake captured in a different angle. This time, I avoided showing the sliced bit and focused on the existing piece. I like how it's close up and still so sharp on the foreground. The back of the cake is out of focus once again. I like how the details on the sponge really stands out and the colours are very appealing. The cream with the strawberries are also sharp and I just love how the piping of the cream is visible.

Fruit Tarts

Here are some fruit tarts. I've captured this in a different way compared to my strawberry tarts. I've tried to capture it in a parallel way because they are in line and aimed to focus on the two front ones. I like how the background is completely out of focus and the fruit tarts stand out because of all the different colours. 

Cake Cake Cake Cake Cake

This was a random shot where I tried to make the cakes in focus and have the background of the busy city blurred out. I liked how there is quite a lot of people in the frame and the cakes are sharp. The colours of the cakes really stand out and I like the way they've been organised in a row. This also gives you an idea of the location at where I've been photographing.

Brownies

This is another one of my favourite images, strictly speaking because it's chocolate brownies. I just thought I have to get a close up shot of the brownies because I loved the details of each little brownie. I also like how they've been stacked up together which gives it some depth and form. The details on the brownies are very sharp and in focus so I'm glad I managed to photograph these beauties. The top brownie with the normal sponge really stands out the most for me because of the different colours and the textures.

Miniature Goodies

These were little miniature cakes that I had to photograph. I love the focus on the cake and the details are extremely sharp. The background is completely out of focus and I just love the position of the camera with the cake looking natural and straight. If I was allowed to touch them and organise the shot, I would move the ones in the back and just have one set as the main focus of the picture. But it isn't too bad because I used depth of field to ensure that the cake is sharp so it's clear that it's the main focus of the picture.

Raspberry Tarts

Lastly, this is another one of my favourite image. I love how this was sitting on a white tray and I zoomed right in just to capture the tart and the white space. I love how the natural lighting also gives them a shadow underneath. The tart itself looks really pleasing and appetising with the glazed sugar swirled on top. I love how sharp the focus is on the tart because you can see the details of all the cracklings and bits of the raspberry filling is quite visible.

Overall, I am very happy with my shoot because I feel like I got some good content there that actually could used as a advertisement or pages of a magazine and books. I've consistently been thinking about my research and some of the influences and tried to use them in my work.