Recap: Food Photography Workshop with World Kitchen
eatingmynyc / February 28, 2016
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This post was sponsored by World Kitchen though all tips and opinions are my own.
This past Thursday night I hosted a food photography workshop with World Kitchen, one of America’s leading brands for cookingware products. My mom has always been a great home-cook, so I was very familiar with brands like Pyrex and Corelle growing up.
Needless to say, I was so excited when World Kitchen reached out to me about this unique opportunity!
As I begin to experiment more with home-cooking myself, I’ve come to realize that the props used to plate your food are just as important as the food itself. For this workshop, I wanted to showcase how different props can be used to enhance photos while teaching home-cooks some photography tricks to combat obstacles such as low light and shiny surfaces.
During the workshop, I walked through four vignettes which demonstrated some of these important techniques:
1) Artisanal Pizza on PRIME by Chicago Cutlery Cutting Boards:
In addition to their primary function, these cutting boards are great for entertaining and work as fun serving pieces. Since the lighting in this part of the room was dark, it was the perfect opportunity to showcase one of my favorite tricks. To combat the dim lighting, we used the flashlight feature from someone else’s phone to create an element of natural light; brightening up the image. As for styling, I used raw ingredients to create a homemade feel for these artisanal pizzas. I also added a sprinkle of rosemary to the mushroom pie for an added pop of color.
2) Traditional Ramen Soup Served in Vintage Charm Bowls Inspired by Pyrex:
These Vintage Charm bowls are modern, playful and simple. For this vignette, I went with a stark black and white contrast to allow the ingredients in the ramen to really stand out. For a dish with depth, playing with angles are key. In this case, I would recommend either taking an up-close shot to capture the depth of field, or going with a clean overhead shot. This is also a great opportunity to consider capturing your photo using the *rule of thirds. *If you go to “adjust” in Instagram, it shows the grid lines marking the rule of thirds that divides your photo equally with two horizontal and two vertical lines. The focal point should fall along the lines or at their intersection instead of in the middle of a box.
3) Seared Tuna on Market Street New York Corelle ™:
This vignette was probably most visually appealing; the table display was simply stunning! Market Street New York ™ plates really speak for themselves. They’re ideal for entertaining and can turn any simple salad into an elegant and appealing table display. For this dish, I added a little shine to the seared tuna by using a touch of olive oil using a cooking brush.
4) M&M Brownies and Chocolate Chip Cookies with Baker’s Secret Bake & Serve:
The colorful measuring cups and secret serve baking tins are ideal for adding some color to what might usually be a pretty bland image composed of neutral tones. In order to combat the shiny countertops near the stove, I created a new surface using some of my favorite cloths. Lastly, I used a touch of olive oil to liven up the chocolate chips which originally looked a bit dry and stale. Ultimately, your food photos are telling a unique story, so I encourage you to have fun with your home-cooking by adding your own personal touch to everything you create!
I hope these tips were insightful. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me at eatingmynyc@gmail.com.
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