Investigation
Old food styling techniques
Famous Food Photographer
Francesco Tonelli
A photographer born in Milan, Italy, whose style of photography is rooted in a rather deep understanding of food. Aside from being a food photographer, he is a master chef, and his experiences running restaurants in Milan and furthering his skills in France and Switzerland over the years led him to be hired by the La Cucina Italiana magazine to develop recipes and style food. He started food photography so he could provide visual examples of food for his classes, and eventually it developed into a hobby.
His style of photography usually involves a minimalistic background, a more rustic / dark feel, and the food is contrasted so much that it becomes vibrant to the black / white / glum background, which is eye-catching.The movement he sometimes gives to the shot of food is another element to his style.
References: https://medium.com/@Happicamp/francesco-tonelli-from-master-chef-to-photographer-df4fc2b2b67
https://francescotonelli.com
A photographer born in Milan, Italy, whose style of photography is rooted in a rather deep understanding of food. Aside from being a food photographer, he is a master chef, and his experiences running restaurants in Milan and furthering his skills in France and Switzerland over the years led him to be hired by the La Cucina Italiana magazine to develop recipes and style food. He started food photography so he could provide visual examples of food for his classes, and eventually it developed into a hobby.
His style of photography usually involves a minimalistic background, a more rustic / dark feel, and the food is contrasted so much that it becomes vibrant to the black / white / glum background, which is eye-catching.The movement he sometimes gives to the shot of food is another element to his style.
References: https://medium.com/@Happicamp/francesco-tonelli-from-master-chef-to-photographer-df4fc2b2b67
https://francescotonelli.com
Production
[Challenge] M&M's
I like this particular photo from the M&M's challenge because the colours of the M&M's pops out and contrasts with the background, and I think that this is a pretty creative way to arrange them. I also kind of like the depth of field in this.
I played around with the M&M's before taking this photograph, and I think I've developed my skills in contrasting the focus of an image with the background.
I played around with the M&M's before taking this photograph, and I think I've developed my skills in contrasting the focus of an image with the background.
1. Milk cracker
ISO: 400
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/125
Style: Rustic
Taken during a cloudy afternoon. I was going to go for the rustic style in more of my photos, but I only managed this one. Added a contrast and fixed the exposure in Photoshop.
2. Salmon and veg
ISO: 500
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/40
Style: Professional
The picture I am most happy with. I didn't have to edit it much in Photoshop, though I felt like I could have. I tried taking photos of the salmon from different angles, but I had to settle with this one so my mother could finally treat our guests.
3. A mountain of vegetables
ISO: 700
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/15
Style: Professional
Taken in a vietnamese restaurant. I had to poke around in the food a little so it would look more presentable, and edit the end result in Photoshop by adjusting the contrast and exposure, since I realise that a crowded restaurant is definitely not a great place to take photographs.
4. Vietnamese beef
ISO: 800
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/125
Style: Professional
Taken in the same vietnamese restaurant. Edited a little in photoshop, mainly had to edit the horrendous light coming from a nearby window.
5. Lunch
ISO: 500
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/400
Style: Professional
Edited some strange blue tones that showed up in my result photos.
6. Lobster and salad
ISO: 300
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/400
Style: Professional
The photograph that I am least proud of - the lobster looks rather dull and miserable, and the blue tones don't help. This was rather rushed, as well.
ISO: 400
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/125
Style: Rustic
Taken during a cloudy afternoon. I was going to go for the rustic style in more of my photos, but I only managed this one. Added a contrast and fixed the exposure in Photoshop.
2. Salmon and veg
ISO: 500
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/40
Style: Professional
The picture I am most happy with. I didn't have to edit it much in Photoshop, though I felt like I could have. I tried taking photos of the salmon from different angles, but I had to settle with this one so my mother could finally treat our guests.
3. A mountain of vegetables
ISO: 700
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/15
Style: Professional
Taken in a vietnamese restaurant. I had to poke around in the food a little so it would look more presentable, and edit the end result in Photoshop by adjusting the contrast and exposure, since I realise that a crowded restaurant is definitely not a great place to take photographs.
4. Vietnamese beef
ISO: 800
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/125
Style: Professional
Taken in the same vietnamese restaurant. Edited a little in photoshop, mainly had to edit the horrendous light coming from a nearby window.
5. Lunch
ISO: 500
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/400
Style: Professional
Edited some strange blue tones that showed up in my result photos.
6. Lobster and salad
ISO: 300
Aperture: f/6
Shutter speed: 1/400
Style: Professional
The photograph that I am least proud of - the lobster looks rather dull and miserable, and the blue tones don't help. This was rather rushed, as well.
Evaluation
I wanted to take more rustic photographs, but realised that I have limited props and under-par time-management, so I tried to go for the professional style of photography for the rest of my photographs. The defining feature of rustic photographs are that the background is dark or toned down in a way that the food becomes the colourful star of the photograph, so that is what I aimed for in the first photograph.
I'm mostly better off experimenting with things and planning every specific detail of how I am going to take photographs is a weak point of mine, so I tried my best to stick to a plan and then go with it. I don't feel like it worked.
I needed to take into consideration that most of the time I was going to be taking pictures of food that would be devoured three minutes after, so I had to be quick.
I'm mostly better off experimenting with things and planning every specific detail of how I am going to take photographs is a weak point of mine, so I tried my best to stick to a plan and then go with it. I don't feel like it worked.
I needed to take into consideration that most of the time I was going to be taking pictures of food that would be devoured three minutes after, so I had to be quick.