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marijasmnj · Joined: 26 Feb 2012 Posts: 6

Hi all,
could you please tell me what you think about these photos... critique everything that needs to be improved.composition, focus, subjects... more you say more I'll learn.
I plan to include these photos into my first submission, but really need help from someone to tell are they good for stock photography.
thank you for your time and effort in advance!

tverkhovynets · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 753 Location: Kiev, Ukraine

Dave is an expert in food photography and he will give you better advice, but the first thing which came into my mind is that you styled your shots incorrectly. The dishes you used for food are not the best for it. It looks very odd in it. Use something more usual like plates e.t.c. Also the dishes should be perfectly clean. Noone would eat something from a dirty pot.

Apart from that I can see that you have some problems with DOF being too shallow. Also lighting could be a bit better.

Taras

marijasmnj · Joined: 26 Feb 2012 Posts: 6

First, thank you for a quick reply!

digigandalf · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 5452 Location: Twinsburg, OH

hhltdave5 · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:41 am

I would agree with what has been said so far. The two main issues I see are the lighting and as mentioned how they have been styled.

Doing isolations (yours are actually "on whites" because you have left some shadows) is not easy unless you have the right equipment and the proper technique. If you look at the apricot shot you can see the shadows have an orange cast to them. Also the light is too intense which has over exposed the shot and that washes out some of the color.

When it comes to putting food in a vessel that it normally does not go in you need to be careful. There are times when using different containers works and this is something that some restaurants are doing now. For instance they are putting french fries in little fryer baskets or buckets such as you have used here.

So, there is no set rule against it but what happens in stock is that you can be reducing your commercial value and that can reduce sales. A restaurant may want to do it because it shows that it is different and not like other restaurants and that can be a good things when it comes to bringing in customers.

I have done corn flake shots several ways, one showing it as it would be served and eaten and one in a more non traditional way which I have posted.

http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?images_per_page=150&image_previews=off&gallery_username=hhltdave5&thumb_size=small&show_descriptions=off&safesearch=1&prev_sort_method=popular&sort_method=newest&page=1#id=59016334

http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?images_per_page=150&image_previews=off&gallery_username=hhltdave5&thumb_size=small&show_descriptions=off&safesearch=1&prev_sort_method=popular&sort_method=newest&page=1#id=59016313

So you can be different just make sure that you do the shots well and that you don't get too different to the point that you are eliminating buyers.

marijasmnj · Joined: 26 Feb 2012 Posts: 6

digigandalf, thanks for explanation! now I realize...

hhltdave5 · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:17 am

One issue you are having is the light box. Generally speaking most of us think light boxes are a waste of time and money. They restrict your ability to shoot from different angles and they have a tendency to bounce the light all over the place.

If you are going to do isolations or on whites it is best to use the right equipment and do it properly. This means that you light the background and the object of attention separately. Many of us light the background from underneath or behind.

What I also suggest is not to work on submitting isolations until you have the time to practice them and get them right. I would instead do them in a more natural setting, in other words a way you would see it in your home. For example think about doing the buckwheat on a cutting board or a counter top.

jeffbanke · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 11:50 am

The difference between "On-white" and an isolation is that with the isolation there are no shadows, and the background is 255,255,255, whereas "on-white" can actually be slightly off-white even grey, and may have shadows.

The trick is making the right choices for the users. I mean an isolation gives them the ability to cut it out and paste it anywhere easily, on-white less so, and must stand on its own which is why Dave mentioned the more natural setting which also must stand on their own, but have more potential use if done well.

Here are a couple of easy isolations:

Here a couple of on-white:

Here some similar subjects in a more natural environ:

Or as in this case light to the background evenly so that it can be used for text

or use DOF to bring attention to the subject of interest

However as we have pointed out the easiest to take are the natural setting images, this one is on a cheesecake manufacturers website

Finally don't forget that you do not need any lighting if you shoot outdoors. This was in sunlight, with a large diffuser between the sun and subject (here a large white sheet held between a couple of rods does the trick).
If you want a little more 'life' in the picture use a reflector (white, silver or gold depending on the effect wanted) to bounce more light into it.

The diagrams are lighting for good isolations

semmickphoto · Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:42 pm

Is that a bucket of milk with the cereal? Must be for a hungry person then ;-)

marijasmnj · Joined: 26 Feb 2012 Posts: 6

jeffbanke, I really appreciate your time and effort, examples and explanations are very helpful.
semmickphoto, :) what to say... except that I really like that bucket, but I'll have to find another way to incorporate it in a photo

mauijon · Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 4310 Location: Maui, Hawaii

I thought upon looking at your three that the lighting was flat and they needed some contrast. I think it was your lightbox that caused the flatness.

jeffbanke · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 2:18 am

marijasmnj · Joined: 26 Feb 2012 Posts: 6

hhltdave5, I forgot to thank you, sorry :)
mauijon, probably true. based on all replies I give up the lightbox, and going to my kitchen :)

hhltdave5 · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 7:55 am

geoffwnz · Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:35 pm