Part III – The Continuation of the Composition of Food Photography
Today I’ll be covering Focus and the Message.
1. Focus
There are 2 types of focuses:
a. Limited Focus – Photos with an ‘artsy’ feel
When I took a photo of this Colourful Kueh Lapis, I wanted to focus specifically on one Keh’s multiple layers. Such photographs are used more in Naked Food Photography.
b. Maximum Focus – Photos including display components
I’m not sure if this is the best example, but it does show many different Chinese dishes that my Grandmother cooked for dinner. You can see her (at the top of the photo) pointing to the food and encouraging us to start eating. Such photographs are used more in Packaging Photography, which allows the photographer to showcase an array of items like a different food products distributed by a particular company. For example, Procter and Gamble.
2. The Message
What is the message you want your photographs to bring across to your viewers? Do you want people to see your food as “I so got to get myself some of that now!” delicious, sweet, soft, hard, sour or even mysterious? Here are some of my examples.
The message: Fresh and naturally sweet strawberries.
The message: An absolutely scrumptious pasta dish.
The message: Artificially and sinfully sweet donuts, that are incredibly delicious.
The message: Unusual Durian Chee Chong Fun, only for the adventurous and not for the faint-hearted.
I hope you’ve all learned something today. 
More tips coming up tomorrow.
Tags: artsy feel, chee chong fun, Chinese dishes, colourful Kueh Lapis, Composition of Food Photography, delicious, different food products, display components, donuts, durian, focus, hard, Kueh Lapis, Limited Focus, Maximum Focus, message, mysterious, Naked Food Photography, Packaging Photography, pasta, photography, Photography Tips, soft, sour, Strawberries, sweet, taking pictures of food
February 26, 2008 at 4:02 pm |
I’ve had so much fun reading these! I wish that we had a cool seminar like that available here — I would go in a heartbeat. And your pictures are absolutely scrumptious-looking!
February 26, 2008 at 5:28 pm |
Great photography tips ! Are those durian chee cheong fun really available in Singapore ?
February 26, 2008 at 5:59 pm |
Thank you for posting about food photography ttps, I am going to print all of these out to sit and read. Many thanks you are such a sweetie for sharing this with us
Rosie x
February 26, 2008 at 10:36 pm |
Wonderful photos. I want to try that durian chee chong fun! I’ve never seen it in Australia though
February 27, 2008 at 3:00 pm |
K: Hey K, where are you from? Thank you for your compliments.
James: Thanks! Yes I had it at Killiney Road’s “RICE ROLL & PORRIDGE”. Click here for more details.
Rosie: Thank you for appreciating it!
erinstark: Come visit Singapore and try it! As for me, I took one small portion of it and gave the rest to my boyfriend. I am not too fond of it, heh.