Chapter 4 Challenges
There are a lot of different ways you can add to the look of your food photographs through styling and adding props, so here are a few challenges to get you started.
Styled vs. "Ready to Eat"
Cook up one of your favorite meals and prepare two servings. Style one of the servings so that it looks really great (try using some of the tips in this chapter), and then take a photo of it. Next, prepare the second serving in a dish as you would if you were going to eat it. Photograph it in the same light and location as your first image. Compare the two and note the differences.
Fake Ice vs. Real Ice
If you have some fake ice, this exercise is fun to try. Using a clear water glass, create two photographs of the same glass filled with water—one with real ice and one with fake ice. Compare the differences between the two images. Note the fogginess in the real ice compared to the clear shininess of the fake ice.
Creating Your Own Tabletops
If you want to use something other than your existing tabletop, use some of the techniques in this chapter to create your own. Take foam board and a large piece of cloth to make a flattened tablecloth, or grab a big, flat piece of wood and some paint and get creative. Try adding texture or using different colors on the same tabletop for a unique look.
Share your results with the book's Flickr group!
Join the group here: flickr.com/groups/foodphotographyfromsnapshotstogreatshots/