{"id":117443,"date":"2018-03-29T17:07:50","date_gmt":"2018-03-29T16:07:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amateurphotographer.co.uk\/?p=117443"},"modified":"2018-03-29T17:07:50","modified_gmt":"2018-03-29T16:07:50","slug":"food-photography-tips-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/food-photography-tips-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Food photography tips: adding human interest"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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A great example of a dynamic shot of the people who catch or produce food. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 24-105mm, 1\/250sec at f\/9, ISO 250. Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

These days we\u2019re awash with images of food. They\u2019re everywhere \u2013 a mind-boggling array taken by many different specialist photographers, it\u2019s a highly competitive area. Less visible is the photography which focuses on the other side of food: growing, harvesting, selling, distributing, preparing, cooking and eating.<\/p>\n

In my former years as a graphic designer and art director, I often worked with a number of excellent food photographers for food service clients. These were long studio shoots, and always in the dark because we used controlled studio lighting and ash. When I moved over to photography, I swore I\u2019d work on location and not in a dark studio, and I\u2019d use natural light as much as possible. I\u2019m so glad I made that decision, as working on location is exciting to me; it provides different challenges and is rarely boring.<\/p>\n

Back in 2012\/13, when I was moving away from graphics, I spent eight months in Portugal, travelling and taking photos for a book called Two Hundred Days: A Portrait of Portugal<\/em>. It was this personal project that helped to cement my interest in the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people, including those working with food. It was an important step in establishing my areas of interest and my approach to photography, which I categorise as documentary and storytelling. I\u2019m drawn to those who are passionate about what they do, whether they\u2019re fishermen (I recently photographed sea fishermen on a cold day in the North Atlantic off Iceland) or a market gardener dealing with the unpredictable weather, which can ruin crops.<\/p>\n\t\t

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Moodier low-light shots work well, but try and preserve shadow detail. Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

More than food on a plate<\/h2>\n

When it comes to food photography, it doesn\u2019t matter who or what I\u2019m photographing, one key principle remains the same: a willingness to go with the flow. Without this, I wouldn\u2019t have been able to deal with some of the frustrations I have experienced. Whether I\u2019m photographing the gatherers, the cultivators, the sellers or anyone else, I remind myself that this is their livelihood, so I endeavour to work around them, not the other way round. But things change and people don\u2019t always do what you want them to do. Having said that, I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to come across those who have been extremely willing to fit in with my objectives. Gerald, a market gardener who let me follow and photograph him regularly over a period of a year, was very accommodating in allowing me access to his world, which helped capture a more meaningful working-life portrait. I was able to build a close understanding with him over many months, and that investment of time paid dividends. What\u2019s important to my work is to show real people and real life. I\u2019m not a great one for contrived shots, although sometimes they are necessary. Above all, what I love about people and food is the storytelling element, from the expressions on faces that help to reflect what they are doing, to the different personalities that come across in the photographs \u2013 no two experiences are ever the same.<\/p>\n

While photographing the Icelandic fishermen on a small boat in the middle of the Atlantic, I saw their distinctly different personalities \u2013 you don\u2019t experience that when photographing a carrot; a carrot doesn\u2019t have much of a personality, does it? Food markets are always good, known for their vitality and visual interest, and I often find myself heading for one in a town or city when I\u2019m on my travels. You can watch people buying and selling, look for great angles and content, as well as get up close to photograph details. The cherries at a market near Split in Croatia were unbelievably tempting and so appetising! This type of food and life photography means I\u2019m constantly moving, while observing people and their body language, drawn in by enticing colours and shapes to fill the frame. On the other hand, photographing in restaurant kitchens, as I\u2019ve done on numerous occasions, is an entirely different experience, with particular challenges \u2013 most notably a lack of space and different types of artificial lighting.<\/p>\n

I have found that people and food is, more often than not, a winning combination \u2013 it makes for great shots if you\u2019re willing to seek out interesting subjects and not be shy. I like to get close and personal, as it can give my shots that special intimacy. The texture of a cabbage leaf is truly wonderful if you really look, while the cracked hands of someone who has worked on the land all their life tells its own story. One of the things I love to get into my shots, if it\u2019s there, is smoke and steam, especially if there is sunlight to play with, too.<\/p>\n\t\t

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For images of food producers with extra bite, place them within the context of their particular produce. Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Lighting<\/h2>\n

When it comes to lighting, I usually have to work with what\u2019s available. Unlike a landscape photographer who might choose not to go out because there\u2019s too much low cloud and therefore might decide the shots won\u2019t have the drama they want, I can be more flexible because all light plays its part in telling the real-time story as it unfolds. I can get the drama through the action of people. But, like any photographer, lighting conditions demand that my camera settings are correct, so vigilance is important. I\u2019m constantly keeping an eye on the ISO and shutter speeds, especially when there\u2019s lots of action. Currently, I use a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, which is quite forgiving in low light. I\u2019m a bit of a stickler for high-quality image files, so I prefer not to have too much noise if I can avoid it. This isn\u2019t always possible when photographing a fisherman at 05:45 on a late-September morning. By the way, I dislike flash, so I tend to avoid using it.<\/p>\n\t\t

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When working inside hot restaurants, be sure to use a fast lens and\/or high ISO, and don’t get in the way! Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Lens selection<\/h2>\n

It goes without saying that your choice of lens is determined by what you\u2019re shooting. Although I have to admit there have been times when I\u2019ve been stuck in a muddy field, with my camera bag in my vehicle, without the ideal lens to hand for an unexpected shot, so I\u2019ve just had to make do. Shooting food in the way I do requires flexibility, I guess, which is why I often pull a zoom with a degree of wideangle out of my bag. The Canon EF 24-105mm f\/4 is great, as it gives me that flexibility. Then again, I love working with lightweight primes, such as the Canon 50mm f\/1.8 \u2013 it\u2019s small and light (plastic) and produces beautifully sharp images. I especially like using this for close-ups or when it helps to have that greater aperture range for low-light conditions.<\/p>\n

While there are times when I will use a tripod, most of the time I shoot handheld because of the need to be able to move around freely. In low light, the ISO can often be ratcheted up. I would use a tripod when I\u2019m shooting video or for details and close-ups of food when I want things to be absolutely pin-sharp.<\/p>\n

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Mark\u2019s top tips for food photography on the move<\/h2>\n\t\t
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Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 50mm, 1\/250sec at f\/2.5, ISO 100. Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Details<\/h2>\n

Take advantage of interesting textures and details, and compose shots in a way that draws in the eye.<\/p>\n

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Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-105mm, 1\/800sec at f\/10, ISO 800. Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Angles<\/h2>\n

Keep a look out for interesting angles, and don\u2019t be afraid to position yourself somewhere for a more dynamic angle in order to add impact.<\/p>\n

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Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 50mm, 30 seconds at f\/14, ISO 100. Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Working with lighting<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re shooting still life inside use the natural window or doorway light as much as you can, and maybe employ a simple reflector. In low light use a tripod.<\/p>\n

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Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 16-35mm, 1\/2500sec at f\/4.5, ISO 3200. Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Moments of drama<\/h2>\n

These can happen in an instant, so try to be where the action is. You will probably want a fast shutter speed, so your ISO will be a critical setting, especially if not using flash.<\/p>\n

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Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-105mm, 1\/400sec at f\/5, ISO 400. Credit: Mark Benham<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Tighter framing<\/h2>\n

Tighter shots vary the visual dynamic on a page, which can enhance your story. Going in close is ideal for bringing attention to hands-on culinary skills.<\/p>\n

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Kit list<\/h2>\n